Apparently August is prime shark spotting season in South Africa. It only took about 10 minutes until we saw our first shark. And I say first because our guides claimed there were two different sharks but, to me, they looked the same; a 10-12 foot long Great White that glided through the water so gracefully and menacingly.
The water and air was much colder than I thought so wet suits were required. The cage itself felt a little claustrophobic but with the choice of either that or being consumed by a shark, it was sort of a no brainer.
We had our wetsuits, goggles, and our individual area in the cage. When the shark was within view, they lowered the cage and gave us an idea of which direction to look. From there, we entered the shark's world where we could barely hear and could only look on in awe at the great beast.
It was a little difficult to keep your whole body inside the cage. There were some fairly large gaps in the bars and as you try to get a good view, your arms or legs could easily float outside the bars, a possibility always on the back of my mind.
The shark got really close. I think I could have touched it. And it sure was tempting to try. But the way it moved so quickly and the way I moved so slowly and awkwardly, I figured it would be best to keep my hands to myself.
Our group had 15 on the boat and only 5 could fit in the cage at once so we got about 20 minutes of shark viewing before giving another group of 5 the chance. Even then, you could see it from the top of the boat and enjoy the divers' reactions as the shark darted at the cage.
