The World Beneath the Water

         Finally, after over a month with incredible views everywhere I went in South Africa, I would be given the chance to see a completely different type of beautiful view. I took a snow day from classes on Friday to scuba dive with some seven gill sharks by the side of one of my oldest diving companions, Brocq Maxey. We met up around noon, along with the rest of the crew and 3 MBA students at University of Texas to go for a 2 and a half hour dive in False Bay with some sharks.

Seven-Gill Shark Up-Close

                   The last time I was SCUBA Diving was over a year ago, also with Brocq, down in the Bahamas. Today our mission was within False Bay (the inner body of water of Cape Peninsula). We headed out to a Kelp forest where Seven-Gill Sharks spend their days. Visibility was good, but the stalks of Kelp sometimes make ti difficult to fee long distances. Because of this, we were warned to move slowly in case a shark we didn't see coming crept out from a Kelp stalk. With this caution, we put on our wetsuits, and diving gear and prepared for the first of two dives.  

That is me, getting up close to a Seven-Gill

          We picked a great day to dive for Seven-Gills and upon descent were greeted by several sharks. Seven-Gills like to get close to SCUBA Divers, but do not like to be touched. If touched they can become a problem, because they will become spastic and try to quickly flee and if something is in the way of their fleeing, they will become aggressive. So we did our best to get close but not too close, and admired the sharks as they swam by. Before long we noticed that there had been quite a few. We estimated we saw somewhere between 50 and 60 Seven-Gills on each dive.

Photo courtesy of Jake Stroud

               The second dive was similar to the first, and Jake Stroud, one of the University of Texas fellows, had his camera with him to capture some photos of the sharks and of us diving. Some of the other fellows had some technical problems that inhibited their ability to dive, both upset stomachs and ear problems. But those of us who could make it to the depths, did so for another 45 minute dive. Brocq led the first dive, while Ernest led the second dive and they were similar but among different areas. Ernest led us uinto a small underwater cavern, and once again we saw our fair shar of Seven-Gills. Probably close to 50 or 60 once again.

Ernest packing up the gear, time to call it a day

               It had been a few hours by the time we emerged from the water and climbed back aboard the boat. So we decided to call ti a day there after two successful dives and a huge number of sharks witnessed. We got back into Simonstown Harbor and got off the boat in time for happy hour. It was nice to be back diving with Brocq and hopefully there will be plenty more expeditions into the depths with Sharks off Cape Town.