| An old school friend, Lisa, decided to | | | | Humans luckily are not on their list of |
| come to Cape Town and visit me for a | | | | favourite delicacies. |
| week during which she wanted to go shark | | | | We went to Gansbaai, an area infamous |
| cage diving. Even though I've been | | | | for great shark cage diving experiences, |
| living in Cape Town for four years, I | | | | for our expedition. At first the guides |
| never got around to doing it, so when | | | | gave us a run through of the safety |
| she told me that she was going to, I | | | | precautions we needed to observe whilst |
| reckoned now was the perfect time. | | | | diving and getting us geared up for |
| But first things first | | | | action while a large amount of chum was |
| Our accommodation for the next week was | | | | thrown in to attract the Great White. |
| the Windsor Hotel in Hermanus. The | | | | The more excited Lisa got, the more |
| timing was perfect because it was | | | | nervous I felt, but eventually we got |
| September: the whale season, during | | | | into the protective cage and were |
| which the Southern Right Whales come to | | | | lowered in deeper to view the underwater |
| this area to breed and give birth. It is | | | | spectacle. The adrenaline rush you get |
| for this reason that the area is called | | | | from this kind of experience is |
| The Whale Route. | | | | unmatched. The Great White is massive, |
| Windsor Hotel is located on the edge of | | | | measuring on average 4m in length! Its |
| a cliff overlooking panoramic views of | | | | movements are extremely quick and its |
| the Indian Ocean and the Overberg | | | | senses sharp. I had to fight against my |
| mountains. Our rooms had all the | | | | instincts to try and not close my eyes |
| amenities we needed and the best thing | | | | when of the large robust conical-shaped |
| of all was that I was able to enjoy my | | | | predators came straight towards the cage |
| first cup of coffee in the morning in | | | | and bumped into it. It's one of those |
| the comfort of my own room overlooking | | | | moments where you see what you are made |
| the ocean. | | | | of, because even though you are in a |
| On one such morning we had the | | | | protective cage, you still know exactly |
| privileged to witness the whales at | | | | who is in control. I felt like a fish |
| play, doing their seductive dance for | | | | out of water in the cage, but extremely |
| each other in the bay overlooked | | | | proud of myself for having the courage |
| directly by the hotel. Southern Right | | | | to do it. Lisa had a waterproof camera |
| Whales are rightly called as such due to | | | | and was taking photos to add to her |
| the practice of identifying them as the | | | | collection of underwater experiences. |
| "right" whale to hunt because they are | | | | For someone who has never dived before, |
| rich in oil and floated in the water | | | | I thought it was pretty impressive that |
| after being killed. This made them the | | | | my first dive should be right in the |
| number one target on whale hunters' | | | | middle of these majestic predators. |
| lists. After witnessing this display, I | | | | When we got back onto the boat |
| could hardly comprehend why, even if for | | | | eventually, they had a picnic lunch |
| money, someone would want to kill such a | | | | prepared for us while we viewed the seal |
| beautiful creature. It was marvellous to | | | | colonies along the way back to Gansbaai |
| watch this slow-moving whale in its | | | | harbour. By this time our nerves had |
| natural habitat, living a carefree life | | | | settled a bit, but the adrenaline rush |
| where all those who travelled along the | | | | was still pumping through my veins. Even |
| whale route and experienced the playful | | | | if you are not one for any kind of water |
| creatures was made in awe of its | | | | activities, I would insist to anybody |
| existence. | | | | who asked that they experience the rush |
| Not for the lily-livered | | | | of a Great White Shark Cage dive. |
| The night before our expedition to go | | | | Hermanus Whale Festival |
| shark cage diving was a restless one. | | | | Just before our week's stay was over we |
| Lisa was giving me some tips for when we | | | | experienced some great fun at South |
| were going to dive. I had never dived | | | | Africa's only Enviro-Arts festivals. |
| before, while Lisa has been diving for | | | | There were craft markets, local cuisine |
| the last four years. To be honest, I | | | | and wine. The whole town was celebrating |
| wasn't really all that worried about the | | | | the return of the whales, standing along |
| diving, but rather about coming | | | | the cliffs overlooking the bay where the |
| face-to-face with one of the world's | | | | whales were prancing for each other. It |
| biggest predators. The Great White Shark | | | | was the perfect ending to a great week. |
| deserves so much respect because not | | | | Hermanus was as always: beautiful and |
| only is it the largest predator fish on | | | | this was for both Lisa and myself, one |
| the planet, but also the most vicious | | | | of the best South African holidays we |
| when hunting for other sea creatures. | | | | had, even if it was just for a week. |