Postcards from a McTraveler: Shark diving in Gansbaai

Where: Gansbaai, South Africa

When: December 14, 2012

With: Dave, Rahul, and Divya

Dave really likes sharks. Like REALLY likes them. A LOT. And the number one thing he wanted to do while down in South Africa was to go shark diving in one of the most active areas for great whites in the world. So Happy 30th Birthday Dave, let's go shark diving.

The company we chose picked us up right from the house in Cape Town. The site was about a two hour drive away and the weather wasn't looking good. We were nervous we wouldn't be able to go out. But luckily, the rain held off, and save for the company's offering of bright orange ponchos just in case, all carried on as usual.

After a short safety briefing, we were off. The boat and cage that would hold us were lowered into the water by a tractor. We piled on and got ready for the ride, mildly concerned that this ride is infamous for being choppy and seasick inducing. Luckily, we all made it to the dive site fine (minus Dave's orange hat, RIP, that caught the wind and now floats somewhere in the Pacific Ocean).

When we approached the spot, there were other boats out and about, chumming the waters already. The opportunistic seagulls were also out in full force, taking advantage of the free bits of tuna skimming the surface of the ocean.

Once the boat was docked, the captain perched himself high up on the back of the boat to monitor the "chum line", an oily slick made in the water by the fish guts. It's from here he'd try to spot the sharks swimming in.

In addition to the chum and tuna heads used as bait, the captain would also attempt to charm a passing shark by throwing a decoy rubber seal out into the water. From down below, the shark may mistake the shape as the shadow of the furry mammal.

Despite the captain's estimate of 45 minutes before the first shark may arrive, the tuna head was snagged and we got our first look at one of the big guys in action. This one was estimated to be 15 feet long.

That meant it was now time to go against years of evolution by jumping into the water with these man-eating beasts. In groups of 8, we suited up, donned our masks, and climbed into the long narrow cage on the side of the boat.

The water was cold, but not freezing, and we were wearing wet suits. Unfortunately, since we weren't swimming, the wet suits never warmed up. So after a few minutes, you can barely feel your hands and your teeth are chattering. The crew would throw a tuna head out into the water and as a shark grabbed hold, they'd drag it past the cage to bring it closer to you. They'd yell "down! down! down!" and you would hold your breath and dunk under just in time to see one of these massive creatures swim by.

There were one or two moments, when you felt like the shark was staring right at you, that you'd realise this wasn't an aquarium and the only thing to separate you and the shark was a few thin pieces of metal. Very surreal. After 10 minutes, you come out of the water, towel off, and get ready for your next turn. After two rounds, everyone was properly frozen, and the sharks started dissipating. So we called an end to our adventure. However, here is a little compilation of all the videos I was able to snap.

As one little additonal treat, the boat drove to Geyser Rock, home to about 60,000 Cape Fur Seals. This island sits on a shallow channel that becomes a major hunting ground for sharks during the spring. This is where you see all those "Air Jaws" photo taken, where the great whites will breech into the air while trying to snag seals crossing the channel in search of food.

It's funny, but as you are riding on the ocean, getting sprayed with salt water and blocking yourself from the cold wind, you suddenly catch a horrific smell that causes you to look up and see this island. Then you hear the pandemonium of 60,000 seals honking away.

Suddenly, in the water around the boat were just hundred of seals, swimming, honking, and rolling around. They seemed incredibly interested in us, but would quickly dive back underwater after having a good stare.

From the boat, we could see some of the jet black seal pups being protected on land. These are the little guys most at risk in Shark Alley when the time comes to hunt for their own food.