The tigershark. Beautiful. Surreal. Huge. Awesome. Big. Breathtaking. Scary!
Now imagine diving with them. Actually swimming in the ocean, right in between them! The question you need to ask yourself is this - do you feel adventurous today, punk?
Ok, sorry, I just HAD to bring in that line, didn't I. There is ONE similarity though, between the Dirty Harry movies and diving with sharks in open water. Yes, open water - no cages allowed! And that similarity is the fact that you will probably feel as scared as the criminals at the wrong end of Old Harry's .45!
Luckily, you are in wonderful hands. Mark Addison of Blue Wilderness (look for them at www.bluewilderness.co.za) knows sharks intimately well, an experience gained from 8 years of diving with these amazing creatures.
I slipped into the water as quietly as I could and descended. You try to prepare yourself beforehand. Try telling yourself it will be ok. YOU will be ok. Mark knows what he is doing. The sharks won't bother you. But NOTHING can ever prepare you for the feeling of descending into a tranquil blue ocean and then suddenly finding yourself surrounded by a group of tiger sharks!
You are at the same time experiencing terror AND wonder. Because as you descend and you start making out their forms around you, you simply cannot help but be awed. These are breathtaking creatures. And they got so close that we could actually count the stripes on that very coarse skin! Your lungs can't get enough oxygen into them as the fear paralyses you!
But pretty soon you start to relax as you realise that they have no interest in you at all. As prey they would rather avoid humans due to our size, and as it happens tigersharks are scavengers who prefer to eat stuff that is already dead instead of hunting living prey. I wouldn't advise trying this with a Great White though...
And even though the fear probably never leaves you totally, you soon find yourself admiring these gentle 4 meter long giants as they effortlessly glide around you. Admiring their great size, their gracefullness. Whilst being very aware of that huge mouth full of razor sharp teeth!
If you are very lucky, you might manage to grab onto a dorsal fin and hitch a ride. One lady in our group did just that - she was giggling all the way back to shore! I guess that says it all.
We spent three wonderful hours with "our" tigers. Three hours that I would give anything to have all over again. Three hours that are indelibly imprinted on my brain as being one of the most awesome things I have done in my whole life!
And the most amazing thing - when we finally had to leave, I felt sad. It felt as if I was breaking a very unique bond between me and those sharks. And I experienced a tremendous feeling of calmness. My body and soul felt relaxed and cleansed.
If you ever have a need to expand your "horizons", then diving with these tigers will add a dimension that will leave you awestruck and wanting more.
Interesting fact about sharks:
The do not suffer from cancer and they can detect 1 single drop of perfume in an olympic sized swimming pool. And they deserve our respect and admiration. Not our loathing.
