I finally ticked off one of my bucket lists – Cage diving with the great white shark! Sharks can be intimidating sea creatures but diving with them change the way I think about them. They’re magnificent and not scary at all. Movies projects that it can be very dangerous yet I find it very exciting and once in a lifetime experience.
Shark Diving is very famous in South Africa. I knew that the moment I arrived in Cape town that I have to ticked that bucket list off. There are so many options where to dive. Gansbaai seems like the best choice. Gansbaai is a two hour drive away from Cape Town which is well known as the Great Shark Capital of the world.
White Shark Diving Company
There are many companies that offers amazing shark cage diving. I chose to dive with White Shark Diving Company since they don’t just provide unique shark diving experience but they take pride in making your safety a priority. They have 100% safety record. It’s a must for me!
Experience and Great Crew
Before our sea trip, the crew provided an in-depth safety briefing. They made an introduction about the cage, the boat, the shark, the surroundings and its natural habitat. The crew guaranteed that the cage itself is built in steel and extremely strong enough to protect us. It passed all the requirements and specification of the Marine Management. They also provided all the diving gear equipment. Although the diving license is not needed to experience the cage shark diving, one must be mindful not to put one’s hands or legs outside the cage for safety purposes. The cage is attached to the boat and if you wish to leave the cage, the members of the crew is always there to assist you. The crew is perfectly top notch! I was nervous at the beginning, but the crew made me feel at ease.
The Experience
I only see sharks on tv mainly in movies, documentaries like National Geographic. It was such a great experience to be able to come face to face with these strong animals. There were 3 sharks during our trip. The crew lured the sharks with dead fish. When it was our turn, the shark seemed to disappear for a few minutes. We were ready, the under water cameras were ready but the shark didn’t show up for about 15 minutes or so. The water was freezing and we waited for so long, but when it finally showed a couple of times, it was mind blowing! Suddenly, the cold water didn’t bother me when the adrenaline rush began. The shark was huge and beautiful. It was worth the wait! The shark along with the school of fishes was a sight to behold. It was such an ultimate water adventure.
The Food
Lately, I’m into healthy living, and I am surprised that White Shark Diving Company provides options for food. Once you booked with them, Breakfast and lunch are provided. They provide food even for vegetarians and vegan. Whatever suits your dietary requirements, they will be very happy to cater them for you.
Wildlife Conservation
White Shark Diving Company promotes marine conservation and eco-tourism. Millions of sharks killed every year and White Shark Diving Company help save these apex predator creatures, look after them and care about their natural habitat. It is good to know that such company is dedicated to conservation of these magnificent creatures.
Expectation Vs Reality
White Shark Diving Company does not guarantee that you will see a shark during the trip however, they provide a voucher to do another trip in case no sharks spotted during the trip. What I like most about the service of the company is that they make sure that all guests will be able to come face to face with the shark. During our trip, I thought that only the first batch were lucky to be able to see the sharks but the crew was very knowledgeable and professional. I was glad and they exceeded my expectation. They all did a pretty good job to make sure we will experience and get the chance to see the sharks too. It’s not an easy job though, hats off to the staff!
I’m not really good at taking and making videos. Thanks to White Shark Diving Company for creating such a great video footage.
There are so many things to do in South Africa. Paragliding, Helicopter ride, Road trip to the Cape Peninsula, Safari Adventure, and of course the White Shark Cage Diving. It was such a FINtastic experience, I would love to do it again.
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