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Burn rubber the sea freaks way
June 6th, 2008
If you're not familiar with speed boating then the term rubber duck can be pretty misleading. The operative word here being rubber. It looks like a boat, it acts like a boat but buoy can it bounce.
At the risk of being too literal, the last thing I expect from a duck is to be radically shaken about from top to toe. Although they do have a tendency to bob around, don't they?
When you think of marine spotting, tranquil experiences of drifting alongside dolphins and whales usually spring to mind. I've been there and it's lots of fun in its own right.
This particular experience was unexpectedly flung upon me during a recent trip to Durban. Spontaneity is the side order of this main serving or should I say swerving.
Any Sea freaks out there...
We were greeted by three barefoot 'surfer dudes' who are living their dream at St-Michaels-on-the-Sea on the South Coast. These tanned and leathery C freaks, the name alone should have hinted at what was in store, get to enjoy the tropical sun and surf all day, while ferrying like-minded folks along the Indian Ocean.
Heading out in a rubber duck is like taking the pimped-ride version of an eco cruise. It's fast, fierce and has you shrieking with delight as you hit wave after wave. Click here to check out the C Freaks in action.
Admittedly, I was the one shrieking the loudest and the co-captain kept surreptitiously snapping away at all of us. I have visions of me appearing on some display board, revealing a bit too much of my dentist's handy work.
The ocean air rushes past, while the engine roars overbearingly, which is expected when in this kind of adrenalin territory. As we headed for the open swells, I found myself clinging onto the seat rail in front of me for dear life - imagining myself being catapulted through the air like a true sea freak.
In all honesty I don't have the most able sea legs, yet not for a second did I feel queasy to the point of it not being fun. What I can forewarn you about is, "Be prepared to get wet and don't forget your swimming costume!"
Safe and sound by hook, line and sinker
Suddenly it all comes to an abrupt silence. We're about 500m from the shore and I'm wondering, "Have we run out of petrol?" Not in the least, this is where the trip kicks into eco-gear.
At the beginning of 2007 the Natal Sharks Board instituted drumlins in replace of half its shark nets as an added measure to protect bathers. These baited hooks, attached to buoyed fishing lines, act as lures metres before the rip-line of the nets.
Greg, our guide, explains how successful it has been in reducing sharks attacks in the area. Additionally, halving the nets has also lessened its marine bycatch of harmless species of sharks, dolphins and turtles. Marine guards bait the hooks daily when they do routine maintenance checks of the nets. He pulls one up and is a bit disappointed that it's catch-free. I'm relieved.
It'll have you saying, "I want one of these..."
After the water safety demonstration we head in closer to the shore and away from the nets. It's at this point that we're told to go overboard.
Nothing sinister, in fact it's the exact opposite. I'm not sure if you've ever slumped yourself down on a waterbed, experiencing the deep, thick swells beneath you. This is exactly what the ocean looked like, a giant waterbed - and it felt divine.
Unfortunately we didn't dive in. It hadn't even occurred to us that we'd get a chance to swim. So instead we tortured ourselves by dipping our feet into the 20 degree water.
It was disappointing that not a single dolphin or whale had come out to play on this trip. If they had, perhaps we would have succumbed to reckless abandon and joined in. Cossie or not!
Get your freak on along the South Coast with these holiday packages.
For more info on the C-freaks trip - contact Bart on 082 953 4170
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Tommie Holden
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I agree. People have the
I agree. People have the misconception that drumlines and nets put in by the Natal Sharks Board provide a barrier between the bather and the shark. Nets and Drumlines are purely put in place as culling devices.
Sharks can swim around, under and over nets, and often get trapped on the way back out to sea. Although the Sharks Board have used drumlines as an alternative, there are still many shark nets in place, as a result there is still a high amount of bycatch - turtles, rays, etc.
Drumlines on the other hand are buoys with massive baited hooks. Any unsuspecting shark will take the bait and get hooked. The shark will struggle until it tires itself out (for many hours). And as sharks have to keep moving to breathe, the shark will drown.
Del Morin
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Drumlines
Its a pity that your guide Greg is not properly informed about the drumlines that the Natal Sharks Board have placed at many beaches. The board still relies on promoting fear and disinformation on sharks to keep their organisation running. After 40 years of research the best solution they can come up with is to simply kill these magnificent animals.
I would encourage you to go on a dive with these animals so that you can see for yourself that they are not the aggressive maneaters that the board would like you to belive they are. These animals are desperately in need of protection and the only way that that is going to happen is through generating awareness as to the true nature of sharks, not the version that the board would like you to believe.
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Miranda Cooke
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