When I first arrived here, I was able to go in the cage right away. It was an incredible experience, one which I will never forget! The crew welcomed me right away and made me feel at home. We were lucky enough to have two sea days in a row and I was able to step out of the role of a client and experience a glimpse of my role as a volunteer.
We were introduced to a braai (BBQ), it was delicious! We were unfortunate to have a couple no sea days in a row but the activities did not stop. The first day, they showed us how all the data works and how to input it into the database, which was interesting. It was a more relaxed day. The Friday we went out to Betty’s Baai and looked at the penguin
The next day was another relaxed day, it let me catch up on my laundry, walk down to the beach hangout with the other volunteers. Lucky enough the following day was a sea day but one small factor the motors on the boat broke, we did however get to experience how another company in the harbour operates.
After experiencing it, I must say White Shark Diving Co has a great atmosphere and they give you information about the sharks which I really enjoy!
On Monday, we went fishing for sharks on the fishing boat. I was lucky enough to be apart of a great day by catching 17 sharks, such as leopard cat sharks, smooth hound sharks and many others. We learnt how tag, measure and I got to hold my first shark! Unfortunately, after a long day of fishing I did not catch any sharks but, I had a blast.
On our next adventure we went snorkeling for sharks. The water was nice and warm but the visibility was not the greatest, large swells and strong surge. Again, I did not catch a shark but I did help out with data capturing. I would recommend a weight belt, I had trouble getting to the bottom because of the buoyancy of my wet suit.
Shore fishing was my favourite, it takes patience and it is soo peaceful. Casting on such a big fishing rod took a little bit to get used to but after adjusting to it, it was simple. I still have yet to catch a shark but I know I will catch one before I leave here. After our fishing adventures, we cleaned off and relaxed. The day after, we slept in, hung out and went wine tasting. The wines and the view were unreal!
Honestly, the first 10 days I’ve been here have been incredible. This has by far exceeded my expectations, and I still have a lot of time left to enjoy.
By Nick Chesnik