In Gaansbaai South Africa a very unique industry has popped up. It’s a special place in the world, close to where the Atlantic ocean meets the Indian Ocean. The waters are warm, seal populations are high and water is loaded with great white sharks. And we mean seriously loaded. This is the location of our South Africa great white shark conservation project. And it’s one of the top places in the world to dive with great white sharks. Much is misunderstood about the great white, whilst being one of the worlds top apex predators it is also seriously under threat from overfishing, compounded by a generalised misconception about how dangerous they are to man.
With Xtreme Gap Year you can volunteer on a great white shark conservation project in South Africa. In 2015, we went to join the research team and see first-hand what it is like to go out on the boats to undertake the scientific study. It was an interesting day all right. Starting very early in the morning, before the sun had come up we assembled at the great white shark conservation project HQ, to be briefed on what to expect throughout the day. We took our resident photographer with us, and some of the shots that were taken were incredible as you can see below. We were also fortunate enough to do some filming, and Oliver had an Xtreme close encounter with a particularly curious great white which even made the press in the UK.
The prelaunch safety briefing was fairly ominous. We were told how the boats were virtually unsinkable, filled with a special foam so if they did have a hole in them they would capsise and float. It was when the captain was telling us about this, that the reality of what we were about to do was sinking in. Excuse the pun! Shipwrecked and floating in these waters was not an option. As soon as we made the trip towards shark Alley (an infamous strip of land located between Dyer Island loaded with great white sharks). We could see why.
We counted around 20 sharks, all of them great whites circling the boat. The clients who had booked on great white shark cage dive is, bravely got in the cage one by one. The great whites came ever closer brushing within a few centimetres of the clients. All that was stopping them from having an even closer encounter with the great white shark, was reinforced steel cage. Shark cage diving is not for everyone, our own photographer virtually refused to get in the cage. We say virtually because she came round to it eventually. After all it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to see these magnificent animals up close. But she did nearly crap herself. Oliver from Xtreme Gap Year, was tasked with getting the aerial footage, to shoot for the promo movie. He did mention that if the drone hit the water, he was not going in after it. As one of his first test flights, it was certainly a challenge. On a moving boat, surrounded by great white sharks on a fairly choppy day. Checking the video afterwards, we think it was certainly worth the effort.
Xtreme Gap Year offers the great white shark conservation project, or alternatively for a shorter encounter with great white sharks, you can book the South Africa adrenaline tour which includes shark cage diving as an option. For further details please contact us.
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