News
The Great White Life
Back in 2017 I had the incredible opportunity to go and work in South Africa for two months alongside The White Shark Diving Company who are based in Gansbaai, South Africa. It may have been nearly three years ago but the memories and love that I have for this amazing place only grow stronger every day. In this blog I’ll be talking about why going to work for this amazing institution in one of the most beautiful places on earth, should be at the top of your list.
Where to start, everything from the landscape & scenery, wildlife and the people themselves make this place a true wonder to behold, and the guys at The White Shark Diving Company made me feel right at home. I worked alongside the experts and crew of the White Shark Diving Company as part of the volunteering scheme that the company offers and is known as the ”Shark Marine Institute”, working in this part of the company gave me a truly incredible insight into the world of Marine Science and helped me see what it takes to be a scientist in the field and thanks to the guys here I gained some invaluable knowledge and experience that I’ll never forget.
I met some of the most amazing people along the way and all the same passion and interests which made my stay in this amazing place all the better. Everything you do is an adventure as you literally have no idea what’s going to happen next. One morning you can be out on the White Shark Boat aiding in vital White Shark Research and then in the afternoon you’ll be catching smaller Shark species to aid in a different research project.
The White Shark Diving company helps with several different research projects from White Shark identification and aiding in monitoring smaller shark populations all the way to researching White Shark behaviour around the cages. White Shark populations have dropped significantly in recent years and it has recently been found that White Shark populations have dropped to be below 500 individuals across the whole of the South African coastline, hence why keeping tabs on their numbers and the different individuals is so important.
The researchers are helping to better understand this incredibly misunderstood predator, an animal that even to this day we still can’t say where they mate, give birth or how they migrate around their home territories. We’re only just beginning to unravel the secrets that White Sharks have in store for us but unfortunately, white shark populations are on the decrease and right now are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Shark Nets to protect beaches, illegal fishing and hunting as well as a decrease in prey is all a factor in the decrease of these amazing animals.
But there is a positive in all of this, the white shark diving company is carrying out essential conservation work alongside their research, this is done through a process of “Education through Exposure”. Telling and showing are worlds apart in terms of the good that they do and its something that the guys at the white shark diving company do very well, they get the public and volunteers alike into the cage with the white sharks to show them these amazing animals in their natural habitat and give a very detailed talk on the animals themselves, this gives an incredible insight into the life of a shark and what its like to study and work with them.
For someone who has loved the ocean and of course sharks my entire life, this was truly a once in a lifetime trip and I came away from this experience with not only the fondest of memories and experience, I came away with a greater appreciation, love and understanding of a place, people and an animal that I have been obsessed with for as long as I can remember. Along with the research work and working days its truly an incredible place to work and is possibly the most wild place I’ve ever been, never in my wildest dreams did I think I could see White Sharks, Seals, Whales, Dolphins and Penguins in the same place never mind all in one day.
The wildlife here is only matched by its sheer ruggedness and beauty and it all combines to make one truly amazing place that should be at the very top of your list for travel and wildlife work and if you’re looking to gain invaluable experience in the field of marine research with the most beautiful animals that the world has to offer then look no further than The White Shark Diving Company in Gansbaai South Africa.
For more information on the volunteering visit: www.sharkcagedive.com/
For more information on Cage Diving with White Sharks visit: www.sharkcagediving.co.za/
Follow Donovan on Instagram at www.instagram.com/donovans_reefs
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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