Flights

Hotels

Cars

Kwafubesi Tented Safari Camp

Depart from: Kruger Mpumalanga International

Arrive at: Johannesburg

2 nights from

R2816.00
pps

This deal includes your return flight (and all taxes), your car and your bed (and your meal too if you selected that option). Easy huh? More Info

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve

Depart from: Lanseria

Arrive at: Cape Town

2 nights from

R4512.00
pps

This deal includes your return flight (and all taxes), your car and your bed (and your meal too if you selected that option). Easy huh? More Info

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve

Depart from: Lanseria

Arrive at: Cape Town

2 nights from

R4512.00
pps

This deal includes your return flight (and all taxes), your car and your bed (and your meal too if you selected that option). Easy huh? More Info

Zululand Safari Lodge

Depart from: Port Elizabeth

Arrive at: Durban

2 nights from

R2096.00
pps

This deal includes your return flight (and all taxes), your car and your bed (and your meal too if you selected that option). Easy huh? More Info

Braving the Shark Alley

Follow us on Twitter

By Rosanne Turner
June 10th, 2009

As I dropped my daughter off at Granny’s at 6:30am, en-route to Gansbaai and the Great Whites, she said to me, “Mommy, please don’t get in the cage, I don’t want a step-mom!”

These insightful words from a 5-year-old got me thinking about preconceived ideas, and the misperceptions that we all have, drummed into us from fiction books and film.

As children perceive step-moms to be mean and evil, from fairytales such as Cinderella and Snow White, so we perceive Sharks to be mindless killing machines, from films such as Steven Spielberg’s ‘Jaws’.

I decided there and then to approach my shark-cage diving trip with an open mind, leaving all preconceived notions behind, and make the most of the experience that Shark Diving Unlimited had to offer.

See the awesome shark experience

We arrived at the Shark Diving Unlimited crew house, overlooking a thankfully flat sea and the picturesque Kleinbaai harbour, where our adventure vessel, the 12.5m ‘Barracuda’, was being prepared for our memorable experience.

Over a hearty breakfast and steaming coffee to wash down the seasickness tablets, we signed the mandatory indemnity forms – if this doesn’t give you second thoughts, then the DVD playing in the background, of Michael Rutzen, Shark Diving Unlimited owner, free-diving with Great Whites, just might.

Michael is known for documentaries on both National Geographic and Discovery Channels, capturing his unique ability to interact with these apex predators of the ocean, outside the safety of the cage.

After a briefing by Frank Rutzen, Michael’s brother, and skipper, we walked the few hundred metres to the harbour where Barracuda and her crew where waiting for us to board.

Our group consisted of an assortment of foreigners, including a family with an 8-year-old child, (who actually went into the cage). This was my last chance to back out, but I convinced myself that if Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and HRH Prince Harry entrusted Frank to skipper them safely, then who was I to disagree.

The stable Barracuda powered across the ocean for about 15 minutes, the staff chumming the waters with a pungent concoction of liquid and rotting fish heads as we went.

The mixture of chum and engine fuel, threatened to make some passengers’ breakfast resurface. (I highly recommend taking seasickness tablets, available at the kiosk at the harbour). When Frank decided the spot was right, anchor was dropped and the cage lowered into the water and secured to the side of the boat.

Frank briefed all those that would be diving, on safety with the number one rule being: “I have only one word for anyone that doesn’t keep their hands inside the cage – Para-Olympic games.” This was in fact two words, but the message came across loud and clear.

Within ten minutes, there were shouts of ‘Shark! Shark!’ from the crew that had been trawling a large fish head as a lure, and pouring more of the putrid fish liquid overboard. We were lucky, sometimes it could be hours before the star attraction does its guest appearance.

The first six divers quickly suited up, and entered the cage. My husband was one of the first in, this being old hat, as it was his tenth time shark-cage diving.

The first visitor was about 3.8m according to Frank.

There was great excitement as she approached the bait, with Frank luring her right in front of the cage for the divers to view, always keeping the bait just out of reach. (It is against the shark-diving code of ethics to feed the sharks.)

As the spotters shouted “Down! Down!”, divers took a deep breath and dropped below the surface of the water to view what they had come to see - some of them from half way across the world. First a black shadow in the distance, and suddenly a gaping jaw and an intelligent eye as she honed in on the lure. with a thrash of her tail she made a rapid turn as the bait was pulled beyond her grasp.

I had a seagull’s perspective from the viewing deck, and had my camera ready each time I heard cries of, “Shark! Down now!”. The expressions on the faces of the divers as they climbed back onto the boat was that of pure exhilaration, as if they had ventured into an unknown world and lived to tell the tale.

In total, five Great Whites were spotted on our trip, ranging in size from 3- to 4-metres. During the winter months, sharks feed in the area known as ‘Shark Alley’, between Dyer Island, home to over 50 000 cape fur seals, and Geyser rock. In the summer months, their feeding grounds move to the shallower waters of the bay, just beyond the breakers, where their diet changes to rays, smaller sharks species and migratory fish. Surfers and bathers will be flabbergasted at just how close to the shore they are.

A shark-cage diving experience is one to remember. Adrenaline junkies can enter the cage for an underwater thrill, and not-so-brave eco-tourists or the just curious will get an equally enthralling experience viewing these powerful predators from the boat.

Although I still maintain a healthy respect for Great Whites, I can now appreciate them with a higher level of understanding, obtained from the informative skipper, the documentary DVD of Michael Rutzen as well as observing these animals at such close quarters.

No engineer could design a machine better purpose-built than nature has done with the Great White. With a combination of streamlined form, powerful muscles, fine-tuned senses and intelligence, I can see the fascination that mankind, and specifically the media has with these creatures. It is natural to fear the unknown. With knowledge, this fear moves towards respect, and a trip with a knowledgeable and ethical operator such as Shark Diving Unlimited will dispel myths and misconceptions, as I found out.

For more details, visit Shark diving unlimited

Email: info@sharkdivingunlimited.com

Contact: 082 4414 555

Let the adventure find you

No matter what gets your adrenaline rushing, we have the perfect package for you. Our deals includes flights, car rental and accommodation. Book now!

We're currently loading your map.

Loading Map..

Add new comment

Bookmark/Search this post with:

User Comments

Agree

Submitted by Tinus on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 12:30.

Although I believe you that it is a wonderful experience, I have to agree with "Comes Around"... yes, there has been no scientific evidence to prove it, neighter really strong evidence, but between many of the people enjoying the ocean (including SCUBA dive centres) the same question remains, and comes up everytime when somebody looses a life to a Great White... Are we enforce the association for shark with humans and food? If there is even a slight possibility that the "tasting" of humans by whites can be attributed to chumming should we not protect the swimmers by stopping shark cage dives with chumming?

Comes Around

Submitted by Intrigue on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 09:53.

Teach a dog to sit by giving it treats.
Teach a shark that where there are humans there is food by chumming the water.

I do not agree with this concept, toying with nature, increasing a sharks mentality to relate a human with food just does not seem right.

Having one corporation may not have such a drastic effect, but the fact that countless "research" operations go on constantly, where chumming the water is a given, just increases the risk of fatal shark encounters.

I have been a diver for many years, dived with sharks naturally, come across them on many a dive. Enjoy that cage!

Really want to!

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 11/20/2009 - 08:59.

I have always wanted to do this….but I am swimming the Freedom Swim in May next year (from Robben Island to Blouberg Strand) so I might give it a miss until after that! Better not to know exactly what is down there! But sounds great fun! Maybe June 2010

Got the T-shirt

Submitted by Stella on Thu, 11/19/2009 - 16:21.

Yeah, we've been there as well about 2 weeks ago, with the same company. It's a fantastic experience and I think everyone should try it !!!! You only live once !

Awesome

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 09:57.

Its something I've always wanted to do and definitely will.
I like your perspective on getting to know them, and then moving from fear to respect. I think they're magnificent and just need to be understood so that we can preserve them.

Great article, thank you.

Eco diving is the right way to go

Submitted by Shark Diver on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 08:40.

The biggest misconception out there is that sharks view human beings as bait, since we're not natural prey for them. sharks have a very confined perception of prey which is primarily linked to behaviour of the prey. that is why it is perfectly safe to actually dive with sharks without cages, in controlled groups, where ypu can see them in their natural habitat, and not when they are thrashing about. To put it in persepctive, a great white has such sensitive receptors in his/her nose that if you drop 6 droplets of blood in an Olympic size swimming pool, they will smell that 15 kms away. That is how they are lured to the cages...the problem is that when they get there, the fresh bait (bloodied) gets thrown in, completely "nuking" their receptors and sending the sharks into sensory overdrive...hence the term 'shark frenzy'.
I am aware that some operators do try and be responsible but the majority are treating this as a revenue generator - and if they are so concerned about the environment, why don't the government rasie a levy of 15% of all proceeds for shark conservation?

Its about making money.

Submitted by Sharkbait on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 00:26.

Its about making money. Don’t kid yourself in thinking this has environmentally friendly .intensions. I did it and loved it (but still think it’s the wrong thing to do) If they believe the study that chumming for great white sharks does not condition the sharks or change their behaviour …..I would love then to jump into the water instead of trowing the chum out one day.

'Braving the shark alley' aritcle

Submitted by Dave Miles on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 18:31.

Good article, made me want to try this even more. So very true what you said, "With knowledge, this fear moves towards respect", this applies to all animals / creatures. One of those great things you have to do before you die.

Dave

analogy

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 16:17.

Actually the analogy would be to trail a carcass around your 4x4 for the duration of the trip, going constantly into the lions environment, and luring them to the meat.

The analogy supplied is saying when you are a superimposed entity as the 3rd party observing the scenario happening doesn't associate people with pray, its a completely different scenario where the people are not only a distant association but now an actual source of food, the lions / sharks / wild animal now associates and affiliates food + people.

asked and answered

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 11:19.

In a recent scientific paper, (published in The Marine Ecology Progress Series Vol. 338: 199-209, 2007), the results of a study into the effects of great white shark ecotourism has drawn the conclusion that chumming for great white sharks does not condition the sharks or change their behaviour. It is a common concern that chumming for great white sharks encourages the sharks to associate boats, cages and possibly even divers with food.

The best analogy to dispel this myth is to compare the cage diving situation to a lion safari where clients watch the lions feed on a carcass from the safety of a Landrover. The lions do not see the individual people as potential food but view the entire the vehicle and passengers as one entity - most likely a non-threatening predator. However the important difference between these two situations is that great white shark operators do not intentionally feed great white sharks.

The scientists conclude that the evidence shows that, ‘although great white sharks do respond to an attractant (chum), …that they are equally able to ignore the stimulus, and thus are not mindless killing machines they are so often portrayed to be’. This is good news for the ecotourism industry and the sharks!
This information is taken from the shark diving unlimited website. You will see in the article that the operator did not allow the shark to take the bait, and that there is a code of ethics amongst those in the industry.

Jury is still out

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 10:37.

It would be responsible reporting to have an article about the potentially harmful effect of lured cage diving. Some research indicate that we are conditioning sharks to associate humans and boats with food which might increase the number of attacks on humans. There's obviously two sides to the story and the public should know about it.

It is absolutely irresponsible to feed hyenas and other wild animals in Southern African parks; shouldn't the same go for sharks?