Do you fear the Great White Shark? I grew up in Gansbaai, South Africa.
I used to swim in every imaginable place that our coastal town had to offer. I had no idea that I was swimming in the capital of the great white shark. At the tender age of 16 I started dating a young scientist. To my surprise I learned that he came to Gansbaai to study the great white sharks. I was so caught up with school and being a teenager that I did not notice the industry that stated to bloom in Gansbaai – great white shark cage diving.
Today the industry has been flourishing for over 20 years and it has educated many tourists and divers on the mysterious life of the great white shark. I have met many celebrities from Nicolas Cage to Wilbur Smith, but my favorite memory is a conversation I had with Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws – that I will save for another post.
If you want to read about the boats and the shark operators there is a nice website that give lots of information - www.sharkalley.co.za They are also on Facebook and they have hundreds of check-in’s and awesome reviews. https://www.facebook.com/Shark-Alley-Gansbaai-122083147878989/
