During the hundreds of miles of driving down the South African coast, the topography has changed three times. It started out with rugged mountains, limited to no trees, and lush thin green grass covering everything. It changed to mountains and trees including lots of pines, and now that I’m close to Cape Town the mountain cover has turned into shrubbery and bushes covering the mountain sides. It’s all beautiful yet distinctly different.
I’ve made my way to Hermanus a quaint cliff side town known for being the best location in the world to whale watch from the shoreline. Unfortunately, I’m not lucky enough to see any here, but at least I already saw some earlier in the week. Fortunately, Hermanus is only a few miles from Gansbaai, where the highest concentration of great white sharks in the world exist, and why I’m here.
It’s 7 am, a brisk 55F out, with a cloud filled sky. The wind is blowing 25 knots onshore as our shark boat makes a rocky rolly ride through 5ft swell evenly spaced out. Once anchored those less acclimatized to being on the water quickly get sea sick, helping chum the water for what I’ve come to see. The crew releases a slick of chopped up fish guts heavy in oils to attract this wondrous underwater carnivore. A rugged steel cage is secured to the side of the boat as a crew member drops a line with the head of a yellowfin tuna attached just below a small float about 10 feet in front of the cage. A few minutes later a great white appears out of the abyss as the crew plays with it by pulling the bait away and redeploying it. It circles around disappears for a few minutes and reappears. Sometimes we only see a fin protruding through the water and then on one pass it so elegantly yet fiercely looking comes from below gulps the bait has his head protrudes through the surface a couple feet. I had expected to see a frenzy or swift movement, rather this creature is so powerful it’s movements even while coming out of the water seem relaxed and slow moving. While the photo’s and video appear fierce due to his huge powerful jaws and teeth the scene and feeling is more subdued.
Now that it has had a taste of our treats, into the cage I go while the crew plays bait keep away a few feet away. The water is as cold as the air. Brrrrrr, the chilly water seeps its way down my snug wetsuit, it hasn’t even reached my torso or had a chance to warm and an 8-10 foot hunter gracefully swoops through the water only inches away. The crew has done this before and is putting on a show drawing them near to give me what I’ve paid for. A half dozen passes his head and teeth pass mere inches from the cage window. My hands are freezing holding onto a steel handrail secured inside the cage literally inches from being able to stick my limbs out.
I’ve been in the cage a good half hour and I’m not sure how much longer I can take the cold. This big great white comes directly at the boat, and as the bait tender/teaser briskly yanks the fish head aboard this monstrous eater’s nose rams the cage mouth wide open with rows of razor sharp teeth exposed. It startles me so, it’s the only time I can recall an instant sense of fear as I instinctively let go of the the security hand rail as it appeared my hands where about to viciously disappear.
I’m done for the day and seen what I came here for. I leave a happy camper numb as can be while a few others grouse they either didn’t get to experience the same show or were to sick to enjoy.
