Shark Fever

So I have been working on the shark boats for a week now, and it is totally thrilling.

Most of you know that I am in the midst of two volunteer programs here in South Africa. The first one is working on a great white shark tour / research boat. The next one, that starts on April 30, will be working with a whale / dolphin team. For more details, see the Volunteer section.

So far, I have been up close and personal with about 15 different sharks. They are absolutely incredible animals. Certainly not the menacing creatures portrayed in the movies.

Decoy attack

Our day rolls out pretty much the same everyday. Our client have a briefing when they arrive at our lodge, and we generally launch between 7-9 am. It take about 15-20 mins to get to our anchor site. It is usually quite a bumpy ride over the swells. Some of the client start to turn green at this stage, but unfortunately the worse is yet to come.

Once on anchor the process of attracting a shark begins. We do chum the waters with a delicious concoction of tuna, sardines and fish oil. Nasty stuff, especially for me who can't stand fishy stuff. The chum goes into the water to create a scent trail leading right up to our boat. We also have a bait bundle that we throw into the water at the end of a long rope. This is used to entice the shark to pass along side the boat in front of our cage, giving the divers an ideal view. Lastly, we have a decoy that is in the shape of a seal pup. Our current decoy is named, George. Most people are quite happy with the thought that it represents George Bush. George has several bite marks already and is missing a flipper - poor guy.

It take as little as few minutes to attract a shark or hours. There is no guarantee we'll even get one. I have been on three miss tours already. Those are tough since the clients are naturally ramped up to see sharks. If there is a miss, then people get a voucher to come back anytime for free.

Once we have a shark around the boat the crew starts "working it". This generally means that we get it to pass a few times around the bait and see if it looks active. At the same time, we are getting the clients into their wet suits and into cage groups.

The cage experience is phenomenal, but the honestly, the best views are from the top deck. In the water you get the up close and personal feel (or fright for some). The water is only about 11C, so you spend a lot of time freezing and when it comes time to dip under, your hands are pretty stiff. I got into the first cage on my first day out, and haven't been back in yet. I will get in again for sure.

From the top deck, you can see the shark approaching, its speed and maneuverable are impressive. It will generally approach the bait bundle, which our crew manage skillfully. We do not want it to bite the bait or decoy, we pull it out of the way just as it is about to chomp down. It the shark gets hold, it can start to thrash around, and if it gets its teeth stuck on the rope or bashes its head on the boat or cage, it can cause undue stress or injury. So essentially we just tease the shark with a game of keep-away. It might sound nasty, but it produces the most number of passes and the best views.

Yesterday, I was working the decoy line and had a couple of close calls. We had a three metre male and he was determined to take George. He got me once on a sneak attach, but likely, I was able to pull poor George out of the sharks mouth as he was repositioning for a better chomp. Phew!! If you lose the decoy, you have to pull anchor and go get it.

The various boats work together and pass off anchor points if there is a working shark in the chum line. Despite the fact that all these boats are competitors, they generally support one another.

As we head in, the clients dry off and get dressed. We have a picnic hamper with sandwiches, chips and drinks. But again, depending on the water conditions, we can have lots of people with their heads hanging over the side, adding to the chum line. I think that is the only thing I have trouble with. I have never been good with other people's vomit. Give me fish guts any day over that.

When we are back on shore, the clients get to see their experience on video. Each trip is recorded and a souvenir DVD can be picked up for 350 R (US$40). The footage is really well shot, especially if we have some active sharks.

The crew and staff are excellent. If anyone wants to give this a try, I can highly recommend Marine Dynamics. Just remember to keep you fingers and toes inside the cage!!