Great White Shark Cage Diving in South Africa

Do not be misled by how they call it.. We did not really dive!

In Gansbaai, South Africa.. at the Atlantic Ocean..

We wore wet suits to be protected from the cold..

Held on to the railings really tight when taking pictures.. Because no one would ever want to accidentally slip into that water..

7 people at a time.. Got down inside a cage attached to the side of the catamaran..

Put on our masks.. And yes.. I know! I look so funny!! :)

Waited for the guide to shout.. "Down to your left!" "Down to the middle!" "Stay down!"

Sucked in all the air we could and submersed into the water..

Felt like I was just dreaming.. Really.. the Great White Sharks!!

Floated our heads back up to quickly breathe.. and back into the water..

No oxygen tanks involved.. No diver's license needed ;)

We were in the cage for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time.. taking turns as there were 28 of us..

We could keep going back into the cage for as many times as we wanted..

I got in 3 times.. and stopped just because I got exhausted from holding my breath..

Must have been at least 7 sharks teased with a seal decoy and some meat..

And if you're wondering if I was scared..

Inside the cage, there were yellow railings.. and we had to make sure all our body parts were inside those..

Sounds easy? No.. because under the water.. my legs floated freely.. so I had to constantly check where they were..

I was not scared of the sharks because I knew they could not get into the cage..

But I was scared of accidentally feeding them my dangling legs! :)

---

Here is a 1-minute video clip of our incredible experience..

I hope you enjoy.. and get the chance to do it, too! :)

Related post: Cape Peninsula, South Africa

---------------------------

References:

Shark Cage Diving Day Tour - Around USD 140 - www.sharkcagediving.net

We stayed in Cape Town, 2 hours away from Gansbaai - transport was arranged with the tour operator

Thank You, Travel Now Magazine!

I just want to share how happy I am!!!!! :)

Thank you very much Travel Now Magazine, Philippines for allowing me to share our travel stories in your August - September Issue, Volume 4 2014!!!

The Bucket List Issue

Friends in the Philippines, I believe it's still available for sale.. go grab a copy now! :D

Below are the 2 of my articles published... ;)

1. Where the Lights Dance - Witness the Northern Lights in Finland - Pages 82 to 87

2. Playing with Predators - Swim with Sharks in South Africa - Pages 76 to 77

Once again, Thank you Travel Now Magazine!!! :)

Cape Peninsula on a Rainy Day

Cape Peninsula, South Africa is a beautiful place..
..and I wish I could share an experience of a sunny day with blue skies.

But then again, this brings us to reality.. that no matter how much we plan our lives, there will always be unexpected storms we could not control. However, we can choose not to let the weather cloud our happiness! :)

We visited South Africa in October, which was supposed to be a good time for travelling. Still, better to see the peninsula on a stormy day, than to never see it at all!

Cape Peninsula full day tours are readily available, and we booked ours through our hostel in Cape Town.

So.. let's go!

Hout Bay

Our first stop, 20 minutes away from Cape Town.

A coastal town with a fishing village, a harbour, a beach, crafts markets, and antique shops. 

And famous for some of the world's best Fish and Chips.

At the harbour, waiting for our cruise..

..that brought us to Duiker Island, also called Seal Island..

..because it has a large seal colony. 

I have to admit that this cruise was torturous for me because of the rough seas. So if you tend to get seasick, take your medicine before stepping into the boat!

Thankfully, the Cape Fur Seals swimming around were cute enough to distract me ;)

Chapman's Peak Drive

Our next attraction, famous for its 180º view of Cape Peninsula.

We drove along this spectacular 9km route, and stopped by a few areas to take pictures and enjoy the scenery.

It was very cold and raining at this time.. but imagine how beautiful it would be with sunny skies!

Boulders Beach in Simon's Town

One of my favourite places in the world!

The beach is so beautiful, with white sand, granite boulders and small rock pools..

..and is home to a breeding colony of over 2,500 endangered African Penguins!

Spotted! On the boulders on the left! :)

And there's more!

You can watch the penguins from the boardwalks, or swim with them at the beach.

They are sooo cute, but just don't swim near them or touch them, because they bite!

In 1983, a pair of African Penguins migrated to this beach, and began to lay eggs 2 years later. 

The colony grew rapidly due to reproduction, and more immigration.

Cape of Good Hope

Originally called by the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias as the Cape of Storms in 1488, this area has seen a lot of shipwrecks due to violent storms and dangerous rocks.

But after rounding the cape and realising that they have discovered the trade route to India and the Far East, the Portuguese changed the name to Cape of Good Hope.

We climbed to the top of the lower peak. 

It was really cold and windy, that I could not even open my eyes wide anymore.. and please excuse the orange raincoat as I was already in survival mode :P

That's the higher peak.. you can see some people on top.

The views.

Chacma Baboons.

Tired but happy ;)

Cape Point

Last stop, the other tip of the peninsula.

Thank God, there's a funicular going up to the peak!

Two Oceans Restaurant.. and what a view!

Just a little bit more climb..  I wish I could blow the fog away.

And here we are.. at the lighthouse with all the other cold and soaked tourists.

This lighthouse though, proved to be ineffective because it was always covered with clouds and mist.. as you can see. So they erected another one at Dias Point.

The view from above.. just imagine there was no fog.. but blue sunny skies..

Beautiful, isn't it?! ;)

Slangkop Lighthouse

On the way back home to Cape Town now, we just passed by the tallest cast-iron lighthouse in the country :)