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Shark cage diving in South Africa
I'm just back from a long stay in the area where this shark cage diving
business is going on - and it is booming! 7 operators have boats leaving from Kleinbaai, near Gansbaai... about 100 miles east of Cape Town. A video company advertised for videographers - and since I have been one all my life, I signed up, and did several trips before it was time to come back to the US.. If you have ever wondered how this works - here's a short summary.. and since most customers are coming from Cape Town hotels, I'll describe their day. Picked up in Cape Town as early as 5AM, sometimes a little later - and then a 2-hour drive to Gansbaai. There, a briefing and light breakfast. Down to the harbor to sail at 8AM, 8:30, maybe 9AM. The ride out to the area where the sharks are likely to be is about 25 - 30 minutes. The anchors are set, the cage is swung around to one side of the boat, and all those who intend to go in the water are given wet suits, hoods, foot coverings and goggles. (Some do not go in, but there's no discount. Everyone pays the same - right now about 1,200 rand - and some boats are better than the others for the non-divers, because they have a big upper deck). Depending on the boat, the cage will hold 4 or 5 people at a time. They don't go in immediately. The crew is spreading bloody fish guts, etc., on the water, and throwing out a big piece of frozen fish that's tied to a rope. As soon as there's evidence a shark is coming around, the first group goes in the cage.. and stands with the water up to their chins. As soon as a shark makes a pass at the frozen bait, the divemaster yells "DOWN" and they all drop under the water.. In the beginning, people rotate out as soon as they have one good shark experience. As the morning goes on, everyone has a turn and people go back for a 2nd and sometimes even a 3rd time. The boat stays there for about 3 hours. Honestly, by the time the trip is over, I sense that everyone has had enough and feel they got their money's worth. Shooting video is really sort of fun. I positioned myself sitting on the rail (legs inside, of course) just next to the cage, and shoot the sharks leaping, attacking the bait, going right to the cage sometimes, coming up with those amazing teeth (a few times no more than a yard away from me).. I screw an aluminum pole to the top of the waterproof camera housing and get some underwater shark shots that way. The trick as the videographer is not to make any mistakes - because when the trip is over, I go back with the customers for a meal, drinks (yes, including beer, wine with the sandwiches, etc.) and show them the video! I "edit in the camera" during the trip, looking at what I have shot and just taping over scenes that didn't turn out as good as I wanted. The finished DVD that they sell is actually very interesting.. It starts with a pre-produced segment about the specific boat and crew that the people went with - then includes the video I shot during their own trip (anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes) and then there's a commercial 28 minute production, "The Great White Experience" and finally, much more sharks, sharks, sharks. Sells for 300 or 350 rand - which includes registered postal service to any country in the world. Cheaper price is offered when the trip was just OK, not great. At my age (66!) I won't be anything more than a 'fill-in' cameraman for them - but I'll surely do it again when I go back after the first of the year. The video producers have contracts with 5 of the 7 boats, and there are sometimes 2 trips a day, so they can use me to give the regular 'shooters' a break. As a lifelong environmentalist, animal rights person - with 18 years operating photosafaris, I surprised myself by not being offended by the cage business. All of the companies provide very detailed and comprehensive briefings about the great white sharks, the penguins that live on the island nearby, and run the operations with remarkable professionalism and dignity. I watched and listened to the people on the cruises where I did the camerawork, and did not see a single one who seemed put off by the chumming and baiting. I certainly did see that they were stunned by the size and force of the sharks! The biggest I saw was almost 4 meters.. several were 3 meters - and their bodies are enormous.. much bigger animals than I envisioned. |
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