I met with 5 of my friends for an early breakfast, which consisted of little conversation.  I suppose we were nervous about the day ahead of us, but no one wanted to be the first to admit it.  The coach picked us up after breakfast and we had a 2 hour drive from Cape Town to Dyer Island in Gansbaii.  The gorgeous scenery along the way was a thankful distraction.


The fearless 6!

As soon as we got to our destination, we were quickly pushed onto a boat.  In hindsight, I think that was done purposely, so that we did not have the opportunity to change our minds.


A quick view of Dyer Island before getting on the boat.


Me next to the tank I would soon be in.

About 30 minutes into the boat ride we spotted our first shark.  It was no regular shark though, it was one of the world's deadliest predators; a Great White shark!



We stood around in awe of the majestic creature and then our guide announced that 2 more were approaching.  He told us that we had to get in the water immediately.  Without any formal preparation or instruction, we put our thick wet suits on and jumped inside the cage.


Our guide getting up close and personal with one of the shark's.


The videographer getting shots of another one of the shark's near the cage.

The water was frigidly cold.  We were after all, in the Atlantic Ocean, not the warmest of waters. However, because of my high adrenaline levels after the initial shock I did not even care if I got hypothermia.  All I cared about were the sharks!


4 of us locked inside the cage.


Me chilling inside the cage waiting for the next shark/s to swim by.

So,there I was in this tiny cage with 3 Great White sharks circling around me trying desperately to take pictures with my underwater camera while at the same time not letting my hands and feet drift out of the cage.  Since I was not using an air tank, the only way to breathe was to grab the bars on the top of the cage and pull myself out of the water.  It required a lot of energy, as I had weights around my waist pulling me downwards. 

When I would take a gulp of air, life above the water seemed chaotic.  I could hear others on the boat yelling when they would spot a shark and I could see the guide bating the sharks with bloody meat.  But, I would drop back under the water and life would seem to stop existing.  It was eerily quiet.  And the sharks that always appeared frightening on TV or in photographs actually appeared peaceful in person. 

I stayed in the cage for about an hour.  I decided it was probably time for me to get out once the sharks started to become really aggressive. They were tired of being bated and decided to start ramming the cage in protest.  I waited until the very last second I could, since I knew I would probably never do this again.  

I silently thanked the sharks for not eating me and found a spot on the boat to lie down on.


Me elated to have survived.

Hours after we returned and feeling much better on dry land, I joined my friends for dinner at the famed Africa Cafe where we ate a traditional African meal.

Sarah and I celebrating our incredible and unforgettable day together.