The boat rocked almost unobtrusively in the gentle swell as we gazed down expectantly at the blue, blue sea, its surface smooth as glass on the windless morning. Conditions were perfect – no wind, bright sunshine, clear, calm sea – and we’d been waiting for some twenty minutes since anchoring...
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Suddenly an urgent cry “Down, left!” shattered the peaceful scene and, as one, six scuba-clad forms ducked rapidly beneath the surface into the depths of their steel mesh cage while those on deck were the first to see the small, dark smudge that glided effortlessly into our field of vision. “It’s a small male” shouted the voice again and we watched, unaware that we were holding our breath as if needing to do that for the Great White shark that was slowly circling upwards towards the surface, drawn by the silhouette of a seal floating innocently on the surface a few metres from our boat. The profile jerked and the shark, curiosity aroused, moved in on the seal with a sudden charge only to be thwarted by the crewman who jerked the rubber profile out of harms way. The shark twisted effortlessly around and slipped into the safety of the deeper water – with such beautiful economy of movement – and was gone.
That was our first sighting that morning – a small 1,5 metre Great White – the reason for our being out in the sea off Gansbaai on board the “Apex Predator” a purpose-built shark cage diving vessel that boasted a six-man steel mesh cage tethered to the port side and supported by a generous supply of flotation devices. The cage had been swung into position shortly after we anchored off a reef by the well trained crew with an absolute minimum of fuss – clearly superb team work and years of experience! Powered by four 200HP outboards and boasting an immaculate wheelhouse with all the latest safety equipment “Apex Predator” is an awesome boat that sits comfortably at anchor but is certainly not short of adrenalin when powering away back home where its good design and nice size makes easy going on the rolling swells!
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Let’s go back to the beginning…
A spick and span office, welcoming friendly, knowledgeable staff and a nice range of breakfast goodies, juices and beverages set the pace for what follows.
A confidence inspiring safety drill and a short stroll down to the pier where “Apex Predator” awaits – no need to rush for a “good” seat – plenty of space at different deck levels. We’re off in no time and once out of the tiny harbour, the motors are unleashed and we surge forward with the powerful motors. Perhaps 30 minutes later, we’ve reached the reef and the slick crew have anchored us and positioned the all important viewing cage. The first 6 don wet suits and masks and settle down to wait…
I guess we spent 3 or more hours at anchor, and saw Great White after Great White – simply fantastic! From 1,5 to pushing 4 metres, seldom more than one at a time and the ever-watchful crew ensuring all guests had as much time in the cage as they wanted. Viewing above water was as spectacular as in the cage – in some ways better, but nothing can compare with being up front and personal with a Great White eyeing you balefully behind the safety of the cage. An incredible privilege to see their fearsome beauty gliding majestically by…and are they BIG! An eye-opener was the reason for their name – their underbelly being a dazzling pure white. For me, another interesting observation was their lack of aggression – they homed in on the “seal” or the tuna heads almost gently – until they opened their jaws… and huge gaping jaws and mean teeth they certainly have!
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We had a few fun moments, when the sharks beat the crewman to the bait and then thrashed and threshed for a few seconds – right on the surface of the water! One lucky (??!) cage bunch had their nerves tested when one shark thrashed about and hit the cage a few times! Shrieks of fear and delight met us as the fortunate divers surfaced!
On board, an endless supply of fresh, fresh cheese rolls, packets of crisps, cold, cold Cokes etc and bottled water looked after hunger and thirst pangs while the crew busied themselves with helping guests put on or exit wet suits – a full time job!
About 3 o’clock the sharks tired of the fun and we upped anchor and raced over to Dyer Island – home to some 60,000 seals and the smell confirmed their number! The noise was also deafening – barks, grunts, squeals – a cacophony of sound – while the waters teamed with glistening torpedo shapes as the seals ducked and dived around us – spectacular! Then a speedy race back to base, flawless mooring and a debrief watching a video of the day’s activities.
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Word’s really can’t to justice to this absolute adventure – Brian McFarlane and his team are just tremendous - check out the website www.sharkcagediving.net, start saving for this and make it happen!
Thumbnail pic credit www.sharkcagediving.net. All other images credit: The Fergusons.
Stay in Gansbaai
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Shark cage diving is popular at various places in South Africa but the most popular region is arguably off Gansbaai.
Portfolio Collection offers a selection of handpicked Gansbaai accommodation options.