Diving with Great White Sharks!

Today was my first day off from working with the penguins, so I decided to go Shark Cage Diving!

I had to get up super early for the 2 hour drive to Gansbaai, but it was a really beautiful drive through wineries and amazing mountains. The absolutely spectacular pink sunrise lighting the scenery didn't hurt either! The beauty of this country keeps astounding me at every turn.

So we got out on the boat, and within 10 minutes we saw the first Great White Shark swim by!

First shark sighting of the day!

Me and my new friends realizing we now have to get in the water with that thing!

 

 So we hopped in our wetsuits and got in the cage. It was a big metal cage with bars that honestly looked like a shark could bite right through them, but they do this all the time right? It has to be safe... right??!!!

Me getting ready!

Krystle going for it!
 

But the cage was attached to the boat and you just had to hold your breath and pop under the water for a few seconds when the sharks swam by, or towards you!!

OMG there's a shark!

 

The famous fin, cue the music from Jaws!

WHOA! There's a shark right behind me!

 

 So soon it was my turn into the cage...

And the sharks came close.. it felt like their fins were going to come into the cage at times!

Please don't eat me!

 

 

The tour baited the water with tuna fish gut juice and tuna heads, but they don't actually feed the sharks so that they don't become accustomed to food from humans. But we learned that there are only an estimated 1000 Great White Sharks left in the wild. This is because humans hunt them fearing that they are a danger, and for shark fin soup. In reality there are more people killed by dolphins each year than sharks!!! Please people, we need to save these beautiful creatures instead of persecuting them. I <3 sharks.

 

Look at that fin!