A Cape Town (Shark Cage) Caper!!
Can't believe I am wrapping up yet another continental segment in my RTW trip! This puts me at 2/3 of the way through it by golly and hot d**m! At times, I must confess, it feels as if I have been happily and confidently travelling since the day I took my first step (unsupported) as a toddler but then there are those "other" days when it is as if I have just woken up in a strange, strange Heinleinesque land and find myself freaking (the hell) out at the prospect of hailing a taxi or purchasing sanitary items. Thankfully, I have been experiencing far more of the former than the latter.
I flew back to Cape Town on Saturday the 19th, checking back in to the Amber Tree Lodge one.more.time. for good measure and proceeded to map out my final 3 days in South Africa.
Day 1? I simply chilled out, did some writing on my blog and called my parents using Skype, which was a call I should have made ages ago as I hadn't spoken to them in nearly 2 whole months(!!). Luckily they remembered that they have a middle daughter named Rebecca and accepted my call.
Day 2? I bought a ticket for the Blue Line Hop On/Hop Off Doubledecker Tourist Bus (150 Rand). I first "hopped" off at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (40 Rand entrance fee), which is highly regarded and fairly unique for it cultivates only indigenous plants; it was even declared a UNESCO World Heritage Sight in 2004. I timed my visit to coincide with the free walking tour which is provided Monday to Saturday at 10 AM. Our green-thumbed guide, Pat, was certainly knowledgeable and clearly a diehard digging-in-the-dirt sort of gal. As we strolled through the park, she shared some interesting botanical tidbits with us. For instance, did you know that ALL geraniums originated on the Cape of South Africa?!!? "Why no, Ma'am, I decidedly did not. How interesting!" Or that there are at least 800 types of heather which grow in South Africa? "Again, I cannot say that I was aware of this fact but appreciate being duly informed." Pat also pointed out to us an orange-flowering plant that is essentially South Africa's equivalent to cannabis. And before you dare to ask, "No!! I did NOT snip off a few leaves for later toking purposes!" But I sure did snap a photo!
The blue bus route took us into some areas outside of Cape Town as well; we drove past the Imizamo Yetho Township as well as Hout Bay, a small picturesque fishing village which I had previously visited while on the Baz Bus Cape Peninsula Tour. Apparently, during the waning days of apartheid in the 1980's, some local fellow had the bright idea to unofficially declare "Hout Bay" as a separate country (in order to circumvent the international sanctions which had been issued against South Africa at that time) and there were even fake passports issued to some residents. What is simply incredible is the fact that there were a few instances where these passports were used successfully to cross borders in Europe! I am sure those days are long gone, thanks to the technologically savvy world in which we now reside, but hearing such a story makes me wistful for the days when it was easier to slip beneath the radar, fall off the grid, and just be UNconnected. Can I get an
I hopped off the blue bus once it returned to central Cape Town as I had some last-minute souvenir shopping and a few errands to run. Plus it was imperative that I return to Amber Tree Lodge at a decent hour for I needed to rest up before my second (and LAST) attempt to swim with some GREAT WHITE SHARKS(!!!)...
...which I did!
6 BIG ones in fact!!
But let me back up a bit (BITE!) and feed you some facts (BODY PARTS!)
Day 3? I was considerably anxious while planning my second attempt at shark cage diving as it was my absolute last chance to do so before departing for distant shores and seas considerably less (great white) shark-infested. In preparation beforehand, I did a number of Google searches and read scads of reviews at www.tripadvisor.com. Finally, to help me choose which day, I checked the weather forecast for the remaining time I would have in Cape Town, taking into account that stormy seas in the days prior to my dive could potentially stir up the sea bottom, thus decreasing visibility near the surface. Yikes.
In the end, I chose to dive with White Shark Adventures (ranked #2 on Trip Advisor). The total cost was 1350 Rand, which included transport to/from Gansbaai (a 2-hour drive away)as well as breakfast and lunch. I definitely give this outfit a hearty two thumbs up, especially when compared to the shark cage diving company I used in Mossel Bay. First off, the staff were incredibly professional, friendly, and enthusiastic throughout. It actually seemed as if they too loved/respected sharks and weren't simply going through the motions for us tourists. Plus, the boat was bigger, making the time one spent outside of the cage simply observing the the sharks at the surface a lot more comfortable. Finally, the quality & quantity of food provided was actually quite decent for both carnivores AND omnivores!!
Dyer Island, the area in which we dropped anchor and submerged the cage, is called "Shark Alley" due to the extremely high number of great whites which swim the channel there. They are attracted to this particular area because of the nearby plentiful food supply, namely Cape fur seals. And the nickname is well-deserved for the first shark showed up before we even had a chance to lower the cage (whereas in Mossel Bay we had to wait 2 friggin' hours before the first one showed up)!!
There were 20 cage divers on board that day and the cage could fit 5-6 divers at a time. I chose to NOT be one of the first group which went down in the cage, not because I was afraid (Hardly!), but simply because I did not want to tempt the Gods by appearing too eager or desperate; my reasoning being that showing a bit of patience often results in richer dividends. But frankly, due to the fact that sharks hung about the boat nearly the whole 3 hours or so we were there meant, in the end, that no matter when you went down in the cage, you were guaranteed an up-close-and-personal glimpse of a great white shark. I am sure that if all those aboard had been asked upon docking if they were satisfied with the amount of shark facetime they had gotten, the answer would have been unanimously affirmative!
I was able to go down in the cage twice and, each time, spent at least 15-20 minutes under the water. And I am beyond the moon ecstatic to report that not once but TWICE a shark swam within just a couple of feet from where I was positioned in the cage and LOOKED RIGHT AT ME with its dead, black eyes!! WOW. My heart rate must have jumped right off the charts in those moments simply out of sheer orgasmic jubilation!
Oh, and I almost forget to mention the adolescent penguin which swam directly up to our boat! As it swam towards us, 50% of those on board, including yours truly, started shouting out fervent warnings to the little fellow, like "Look out little penguin! Shark!!" However, the other considerably more blood thirsty divers present started cheering out encouragement to any/all sharks swimming in the vicinity, screaming "Go get that penguin! It's dinnertime!!" Thankfully, although a shark did in fact go after the penguin, at the very last moment it was able to make its escape. Phew!!
Well folks, it is time to wrap up Africa with a big ole bow and move on to a literally greener, hotter and a HELL of a lot more humid locale, SOUTH EAST AISA!
To all the wonderful, unforgettable people I met during my travels in Namibia and South Africa these past two months, I salute you and hope to someday find myself sitting on a bar stool next to you so that I might buy you a drink. CHEERS!!
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