Shark Cage Diving in South Australia (SA)

“45 minutes in the water? How cold is it you said?” I asked James, Calypso desk hand. “8 degrees. But as long as there are sharks around you wouldn’t feel any cold! No need to worry” he smiled and pored a large scoop of a tuna blood in water. Few seconds later a dark shadow of a 6-meters shark appeared from the depth of the water and glided pass the boat! The first shark was already here!

We are on board of Calypso – a legendary Australian boat involved in shark research with CSIRO, many international studies and a host of many shark documentaries. During few months a year they can take passengers for a shark cage diving near remote Neptune Island in South Australia. So this is our chance to see a great white shark close in its environment!

“This is our new cage! We just got it last month!” said captain proudly. Wait a second... First, what happened to the old cage? Second, why your new cage is already welded in few places, scratched all over and has dents as if someone hit it with a huge hummer? But the cage is ready. It is time to dive.

We checked our gear and jumped in icy water. We grouped in a cage looking all around us enviously. But there was nothing. 5 minutes passed. We looked at each other shrugging shoulders. Did that shark left? What shell we do?

And then, in a fraction of a second a huge 6-meters great white appeared from nowhere, swam just centimetres away from our cage and disappeared as quickly as it came! There was no sound, no wave. It came back in few seconds and started to circle the cage coming closer each time. Four smaller 4-5 meters sharks joined her shortly.

The boat crew kept sharks entertained occasional poring tuna blood in water and throwing large chunks of fish around the cage. So sharks showed no real interest in us.

Sharks were magnificent! The massive bodies moved through the water effortlessly in a steady tempo. We watched them gliding pass our cage in fascination. The scene was so quite and unreal we almost forgot about a danger. I had an eagre to touch the shark’s body as she came pass the cage, just to make sure this is real.

But I was quickly put back to senses when one of shark suddenly turned and hit out cage so strong we all were thrown to the opposite side of a cage and one of the cage posts gave crack! Oh, this explains dents on a new cage!... Sharks hit the cage few more times rather unintentionally when they tried to catch a tuna chunk too close to the cage. One of sharks turned close to us that the strong wave her tail created just washed us all of our feet!

As the captain promised we stayed in water about 45minuts. No, we did not get cold at all. Looking on sharked from the boat was scarier – they were huge! What were we thinking jumping in water with those monsters!

It is natural for a human to fear unknown. But seeing sharks so close in their environment washed off my fears and replaced it by a fascination. Yes, they are the primary ocean predator. But they are magnificent creatures and a vital part on ecosystem. The reality is that many of then, including great white shark are threatened species and their existence is threatened by the overfishing in a hunt for their fins.