What a great white experience!

Taken from beautifuldeepocean.blogspot.com

Great white sharks are the creatures we fear most when swimming in the ocean. We have all read numerous attack stories in the media and have seen their pure strength and aggression on film.  The fact that they are so powerful, large and ominous is probably why great white shark diving has become such a popular attraction around the world. Everybody wants an experience that is once in a lifetime and will get their adrenaline pumping and that is precisely why I have always wanted to do it. Two weeks ago, my wish came true and I got to look a great white in the eye!

My boyfriend and I woke early on a Friday morning and made our way to Gaansbaai, the home of shark cage diving and one of the most popular spots in the world to view these predators in their natural habitat. As we began the boat trip, our nerves and excitement were charged up. We finally dropped anchor at a place called Shark Alley and then the sightings began (after the chum was thrown in the water)! I will never forget the first time I saw a great white shark in real life.

It was as though all the fear and anxiety was replaced with pure excitement as we donned our 35mm thick wetsuits and jumped in the cage. Despite the icy water, I couldn’t get enough. As you submerge your head you are faced by these magnificent beasts circling the cage and swimming past to see what all the fuss is about. To my surprise they weren’t scary at all, just graceful and magnificent in their size. They are truly beautiful creatures, although I will admit that I would risk facing them without a cage.

The whole idea of a shark’s fin protruding out of the water when they swim was dispelled as this is not the case. One of the guides told us that if a great white wants to attack you, you will not see it approach you as it breeches from way below you. The tour operators are trying to save this creature by showing people that the “Jaws” perception is incorrect and that these are placid creatures who do not just attack for blood. In fact, great whites are very curious and because they do not have hands, they feel with their mouths and that is where the problem lies. Their rows and rows of serrated sharp teeth act like a knife and fork to human flesh and that is why you don’t want them to “feel” you!

All in all, it was an awesome experience and something to cross off my bucket list. I would recommend it to anyone! There is nothing more honest and real than staring a 3 meter monster in the eye and living to tell the tale! It is something I would like to do again one day.