So I've got just under two weeks left here in South Africa... I'll be gutted to leave such a beautiful, amazing and inspiring place. I've managed to get plenty of data for analysis and today is the day I'm going to try my best to tackle that analysis head on, starting with some graphs!
The past few days have been absolutely beautiful, which is what is making it even harder for me to comprehend leaving. Yes the air is still quite cold, but the sun has been glorious and any rain has been short-lived... yesterday on the way back from Cape Town, we saw a huge complete double rainbow, the inner rainbow being the brightest one I have ever seen. Everything here is so spectacular and dramatic, I don't think anything the UK has lives up to it to be honest, except maybe in Scotland!
So yes, I spent the day in a shopping centre in Cape Town, attempting to find presents for family. Somewhat unsuccessful (everthing I intended to get was either not there, or priced extortionately), I ended up just buying myself some new headphones (the old ones decided to break halfway through a run), and the first book of A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) because I love the series and have heard good things about the books! Also I finished The Hobbit ages ago, so I thought I'd get myself some new reading material for the long journey home. After shopping, I went to see The Dark Knight Rises. It was amazing! Much better than Prometheus. I had some South African wine gums, they taste a lot nicer than UK ones, possibly through several of what we would consider 'illegal' flavourings, but still, very nice!
After leaving the shopping mall, we went to pick up Ed's mum from Cape Town airport. We were all very tired at this point (especially Ed's mum after such a long journey) so much of the return journey was spent in silence. I lay back in the car, admiring the views of the mountains on the way home and wishing that I had another good few weeks here in Africa. I promised myself that I would return as soon as I could, after finishing my Master's and learning to drive (and also trying to earn a bit of money so as to afford coming out here again!).
So here's to a last couple of weeks in South Africa... may the weather be as lovely as it is today, and I hope to get a decent amount of analysis done before I head back home! I will try to keep updated on here with any shenanigans (and there might be some more now Ed's mum has arrived, there are talks of horseback safaris and wine-tasting!).
Monday 23 July 2012
Friday 13 July 2012
Amy's Birthday and FREEZING FRIDAY 13th!
Wednesday was Amy's birthday and I managed to make a surprise chocolate birthday cake for her! Everybody said it tasted nice at her birthday braai, so I must have done something right... I also helped Anna make a lovely trifle with vodka jelly and amarula custard... it turned out very tasty, if a little on the alcoholic side of things. A good few people came, and there was plenty of food to satisfy our appetites. I decided to have a steak, which tasted fantastic! I love grilled food - nice and healthy, but amazingly tasty.
Thursday was a relatively lazy day. We had planned on going out on a 'volunteer exclusive' trip at 2pm. Having gotten into our swim gear to dive in the cage with the sharks, and packed our cameras and towels up, we headed outside to go to the boat. There we were out on the terrace, facing the sea, and the boat we were supposed to be on drove past us out for the trip! Suffice to say, there were some quite rude gestures aimed at the boat as it drove past our chalet without us. Apparently, the trip had been re-scheduled at the last minute, and left an hour before it was supposed to! To top it all off, they saw a pod of bottlenose dolphins (pictures can be seen here, at the bottom of the Marine Dynamics blog for yesterday: http://www.sharkwatchsa.com/en/blog/category/513/post/1174/daily-trip-12-07-2012/), which makes me SO jealous of all those guys, and even more bitter that I missed the trip!
Today is the coldest day so far of all my time here. We went out on the 9.30am trip, only to be greeted by freezing winds, rain and even a brief hailstorm. The hailstones were about the size of peas! Glad I was in the cabin for that one... But when I came back, I went on a nice run which warmed me up nicely.
Unfortunately today is also the last day of one of my favourite volunteers, Jenna from Canada. I'll be heading over to the volunteer house in a bit to say goodbye, but I'm not going out with them because I've got to get up fairly early to go to Hermanus... although that plan might change after a drink or two (Although I'm not really planning on drinking either; what a granny I've become!)! I'm also looking forward to popping over to Ed and Anna's house to grab a slice of leftover birthday cake after my tea... tasty!
Thursday was a relatively lazy day. We had planned on going out on a 'volunteer exclusive' trip at 2pm. Having gotten into our swim gear to dive in the cage with the sharks, and packed our cameras and towels up, we headed outside to go to the boat. There we were out on the terrace, facing the sea, and the boat we were supposed to be on drove past us out for the trip! Suffice to say, there were some quite rude gestures aimed at the boat as it drove past our chalet without us. Apparently, the trip had been re-scheduled at the last minute, and left an hour before it was supposed to! To top it all off, they saw a pod of bottlenose dolphins (pictures can be seen here, at the bottom of the Marine Dynamics blog for yesterday: http://www.sharkwatchsa.com/en/blog/category/513/post/1174/daily-trip-12-07-2012/), which makes me SO jealous of all those guys, and even more bitter that I missed the trip!
Today is the coldest day so far of all my time here. We went out on the 9.30am trip, only to be greeted by freezing winds, rain and even a brief hailstorm. The hailstones were about the size of peas! Glad I was in the cabin for that one... But when I came back, I went on a nice run which warmed me up nicely.
Unfortunately today is also the last day of one of my favourite volunteers, Jenna from Canada. I'll be heading over to the volunteer house in a bit to say goodbye, but I'm not going out with them because I've got to get up fairly early to go to Hermanus... although that plan might change after a drink or two (Although I'm not really planning on drinking either; what a granny I've become!)! I'm also looking forward to popping over to Ed and Anna's house to grab a slice of leftover birthday cake after my tea... tasty!
Tuesday 10 July 2012
Spiders, storms and shark dissections
We have what seems to be a juvenile rain spider living in our shower. I am far too terrified to go anywhere near it to 'dispatch' it, so I have to just stare at it to make sure it doesn't get too close when I'm washing. Also, Amy found a large black-widow in her trousers! Strangely, I'm less scared of the black widow because the shape of them is pretty cool - I really like the shiny, black body! Obviously my fear of spiders is completely irrational.
The juvenile rain spider is like a small, long-bodied and brown house spider, and it seems to like wiggling its legs at me from over the top of the bathroom tiles. Terrifying!
We've had another string of no-sea days due to 'storms'. I thought here in Africa, when someone said "storm", they would mean something epic, but no, it's basically a very blustery day with the occasional bout of rain. Apparently we have storms all the time in the UK then! However ,the waves do look quite treacherous and I'm glad we don't have to go out there. There is a stand-by trip tomorrow at 11, whether it will be too full for me to go on is another matter!
I finally got to grips with my introduction and wrote a modest 950 words, it still needs some work, but I'm happy with what I've written so far!
Today there was a shark dissection of 3 puffadder shysharks, and a couple of pyjama sharks. It was really interesting to see, but I got a bit 'overwhelmed' when someone cut open the shark egg (mermaid's purse) and some really disgusting fluid came out - much like melted raspberry ripple ice-cream. I started to feel really dizzy and had to run away! Instead, I helped Anna by filming some of the volunteers making temporary sleeping bags for the homeless, which was a lot less gory.
The juvenile rain spider is like a small, long-bodied and brown house spider, and it seems to like wiggling its legs at me from over the top of the bathroom tiles. Terrifying!
We've had another string of no-sea days due to 'storms'. I thought here in Africa, when someone said "storm", they would mean something epic, but no, it's basically a very blustery day with the occasional bout of rain. Apparently we have storms all the time in the UK then! However ,the waves do look quite treacherous and I'm glad we don't have to go out there. There is a stand-by trip tomorrow at 11, whether it will be too full for me to go on is another matter!
I finally got to grips with my introduction and wrote a modest 950 words, it still needs some work, but I'm happy with what I've written so far!
Today there was a shark dissection of 3 puffadder shysharks, and a couple of pyjama sharks. It was really interesting to see, but I got a bit 'overwhelmed' when someone cut open the shark egg (mermaid's purse) and some really disgusting fluid came out - much like melted raspberry ripple ice-cream. I started to feel really dizzy and had to run away! Instead, I helped Anna by filming some of the volunteers making temporary sleeping bags for the homeless, which was a lot less gory.
Saturday 7 July 2012
Rain rain rain
I'm finally managing to catch up on my blog after far too long...
So I've got plenty of data, although more can never hurt (I'm a fan of large data sets!). I should really begin thinking about what statistics I will use and trying them out.
Today the trip is cancelled (hence me managing to catch up on the blog) due to bad weather conditions. Although I didn't actually know that the trip was cancelled until I came in this morning. I had dressed up in full waterproof gear, including some very fetching waterproof trousers that my dad lent me. Feeling somewhat like a big plastic Michelin man, I managed to slog in through the drizzle (I swear it was raining a lot more as I was putting my waterproofs on!). Now I'm waiting for someone to arrive who can give me a lift to the Spar supermarket, as all I have left at home is some couscous.
Things I have missed blogging about;
Hermanus for Ollie's birthday...
Fellow Brummie Ollie celebrated his 22nd birthday out here, so we all went to Hermanus for a nice meal. We had a bunch of shared starters, which included "Aztec Mushrooms"; dark chocolate, mild chillies and cream on some button mushrooms (amazing!), "Passion Fruit Crocodile Tail"; kind of speaks for itself, but yes, I ate some crocodile! It was so tasty, very much like pork, and quite unusual with the passion fruit sauce on it, kind of like sweet and sour sauce. For main I had a beautiful seafood pasta, with a tomato sauce. Everything was absolutely delicious!
Volunteer braai...
So the volunteers decided to host a braai last Wednesday, which was a lot of fun. There were a lot of people there too! Volunteers from White Shark Projects, the boat crew, all the volunteers from Marine Dynamics (of which there are quite a number now) and I'm sure there were a good few random people there as well. So the drinks were flowing and the food was braaing, courtesy of some guy I'm not sure anybody knew properly. It was brilliant! The lounge was converted into some sort of dance floor and my lovely Canadian friend Jenna had bought some coloured torches for us to dance about with, so it really felt disco-esque.
A few of us then decided to go to a bar called "Friends" I'm not sure what possessed me to go there, as I was really starting to flag, but it was fun all the same. I didn't really drink much at all, but the next day I was really, really ill. I'm guessing I ate something dodgy.
Introduction nightmare...
So I was assigned the task of writing a draft of my introduction, so that the lovely marine biologists here can have a look over it and see whether they have any input, as well as a general encouragement to keep as up to date with my work as possible. A task that was due to be complete this time last week. So far I have written 450 words, not [entirely] through laziness, but through a lack of papers about shark behaviour. The 450 words I have written, however, have been fully referenced and I have actually read quite a lot of papers... I'm just struggling with the structure and content of my introduction.
The knowledge that there is very little on 'personality' of sharks (or even any elasmobranchs - that's cartilaginous fish including sharks and rays, for you non-biologists out there) actually terrifies me. I mean I'm all for the glory of pioneering work, but only if I feel comfortable and confident in what I'm doing. I don't feel like I'm doing anything particularly *wrong* but I also feel like it's very haphazard and difficult to be 100% accurate in everything. I guess that's what behavioural ecology is like, but it scares me. I have a love of structure, accuracy and objectivity... but behaviour is so random and relatively subjective (although my categories of behaviour have been designed to be as objective as possible), and it is influenced by so many variables; not all of which can be measured, I feel like my data can't be altogether perfect. I hope all behavioural scientists feel this way, otherwise I am definitely doing something wrong!
Next step (once I've finished writing my introduction) is statistical analysis. If that shows some sort of pattern, I will be over the moon!
Blog soon!
So I've got plenty of data, although more can never hurt (I'm a fan of large data sets!). I should really begin thinking about what statistics I will use and trying them out.
Today the trip is cancelled (hence me managing to catch up on the blog) due to bad weather conditions. Although I didn't actually know that the trip was cancelled until I came in this morning. I had dressed up in full waterproof gear, including some very fetching waterproof trousers that my dad lent me. Feeling somewhat like a big plastic Michelin man, I managed to slog in through the drizzle (I swear it was raining a lot more as I was putting my waterproofs on!). Now I'm waiting for someone to arrive who can give me a lift to the Spar supermarket, as all I have left at home is some couscous.
Things I have missed blogging about;
Hermanus for Ollie's birthday...
Fellow Brummie Ollie celebrated his 22nd birthday out here, so we all went to Hermanus for a nice meal. We had a bunch of shared starters, which included "Aztec Mushrooms"; dark chocolate, mild chillies and cream on some button mushrooms (amazing!), "Passion Fruit Crocodile Tail"; kind of speaks for itself, but yes, I ate some crocodile! It was so tasty, very much like pork, and quite unusual with the passion fruit sauce on it, kind of like sweet and sour sauce. For main I had a beautiful seafood pasta, with a tomato sauce. Everything was absolutely delicious!
Volunteer braai...
So the volunteers decided to host a braai last Wednesday, which was a lot of fun. There were a lot of people there too! Volunteers from White Shark Projects, the boat crew, all the volunteers from Marine Dynamics (of which there are quite a number now) and I'm sure there were a good few random people there as well. So the drinks were flowing and the food was braaing, courtesy of some guy I'm not sure anybody knew properly. It was brilliant! The lounge was converted into some sort of dance floor and my lovely Canadian friend Jenna had bought some coloured torches for us to dance about with, so it really felt disco-esque.
A few of us then decided to go to a bar called "Friends" I'm not sure what possessed me to go there, as I was really starting to flag, but it was fun all the same. I didn't really drink much at all, but the next day I was really, really ill. I'm guessing I ate something dodgy.
Introduction nightmare...
So I was assigned the task of writing a draft of my introduction, so that the lovely marine biologists here can have a look over it and see whether they have any input, as well as a general encouragement to keep as up to date with my work as possible. A task that was due to be complete this time last week. So far I have written 450 words, not [entirely] through laziness, but through a lack of papers about shark behaviour. The 450 words I have written, however, have been fully referenced and I have actually read quite a lot of papers... I'm just struggling with the structure and content of my introduction.
The knowledge that there is very little on 'personality' of sharks (or even any elasmobranchs - that's cartilaginous fish including sharks and rays, for you non-biologists out there) actually terrifies me. I mean I'm all for the glory of pioneering work, but only if I feel comfortable and confident in what I'm doing. I don't feel like I'm doing anything particularly *wrong* but I also feel like it's very haphazard and difficult to be 100% accurate in everything. I guess that's what behavioural ecology is like, but it scares me. I have a love of structure, accuracy and objectivity... but behaviour is so random and relatively subjective (although my categories of behaviour have been designed to be as objective as possible), and it is influenced by so many variables; not all of which can be measured, I feel like my data can't be altogether perfect. I hope all behavioural scientists feel this way, otherwise I am definitely doing something wrong!
Next step (once I've finished writing my introduction) is statistical analysis. If that shows some sort of pattern, I will be over the moon!
Blog soon!
Friday 22 June 2012
Dead White Shark :(
Two days ago, we got word that a dead white shark had washed up on Dyer Island, which was very sad news.
Unfortunately, the first day was far too rough for Marine Dynamics' whale rescue team to go out and retrieve it on the first day. However, yesterday it was calm enough for the team of three boats and crew to go and fetch it.
I managed to get to the harbour just in time to see the crew and the boat Calypso coming in, towing the animal behind it between two inflatable buoys. There were lots of people at the harbour, including a couple of film crews! I was keen to see if the shark had an obvious cause of death, but there were no marks on him whatsoever, except the skin that had been rubbed off by the sand as it had washed up.
The shark was immediately taken by the South African government's marine scientists to go to Cape Town for dissection in a couple of weeks. Maybe then we will find out what caused the death of this beautiful creature.
Below is the picture of the shark (it is bloated due to decomposition) taken by Marine Dynamics skipper, Hennie Otto:
Marine Dynamics actually lost a lot of money in fuel and personnel charges retrieving it, which goes to show how much they care about the wildlife in this area. Wilfred Chivell, the founder of Marine Dynamics and Dyer Island Cruises, is clearly extremely passionate about these animals.
That is why, and please don't judge me too badly for promoting this company so blatantly, I would definitely recommend Marine Dynamics as a shark diving or whale-watching company. The money that is spent on your trip really does go towards marine conservation; these guys perform whale rescues, animal corpse retrieval for post-mortem analysis (an extremely important factor in conservation - if you have a dead animal, you need to find out what killed it to aid possible prevention of killing other members of the species in the future!), penguin housing placement on Dyer Island as well as education of the public about the area. I have witnessed first hand where this money goes, and can vouch for the company's positive actions towards conservation.
So, if you're considering coming on a shark diving tour/whale watching trip in South Africa (and I would really recommend it), I can honestly say Marine Dynamics is the best choice for a responsible eco-tourist.
p.s. I'm not getting paid by them!
Unfortunately, the first day was far too rough for Marine Dynamics' whale rescue team to go out and retrieve it on the first day. However, yesterday it was calm enough for the team of three boats and crew to go and fetch it.
I managed to get to the harbour just in time to see the crew and the boat Calypso coming in, towing the animal behind it between two inflatable buoys. There were lots of people at the harbour, including a couple of film crews! I was keen to see if the shark had an obvious cause of death, but there were no marks on him whatsoever, except the skin that had been rubbed off by the sand as it had washed up.
The shark was immediately taken by the South African government's marine scientists to go to Cape Town for dissection in a couple of weeks. Maybe then we will find out what caused the death of this beautiful creature.
Below is the picture of the shark (it is bloated due to decomposition) taken by Marine Dynamics skipper, Hennie Otto:
Marine Dynamics actually lost a lot of money in fuel and personnel charges retrieving it, which goes to show how much they care about the wildlife in this area. Wilfred Chivell, the founder of Marine Dynamics and Dyer Island Cruises, is clearly extremely passionate about these animals.
That is why, and please don't judge me too badly for promoting this company so blatantly, I would definitely recommend Marine Dynamics as a shark diving or whale-watching company. The money that is spent on your trip really does go towards marine conservation; these guys perform whale rescues, animal corpse retrieval for post-mortem analysis (an extremely important factor in conservation - if you have a dead animal, you need to find out what killed it to aid possible prevention of killing other members of the species in the future!), penguin housing placement on Dyer Island as well as education of the public about the area. I have witnessed first hand where this money goes, and can vouch for the company's positive actions towards conservation.
So, if you're considering coming on a shark diving tour/whale watching trip in South Africa (and I would really recommend it), I can honestly say Marine Dynamics is the best choice for a responsible eco-tourist.
p.s. I'm not getting paid by them!
Wednesday 20 June 2012
Catch Up
Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a few days, it has been a very busy week!
So I've been on a couple of shark trips, one of which featured a cape fur seal swimming around the boat. I also went on a whale scouting trip with some of the whale scientists and skippers who work here, saw a couple of humpback whales and followed them for a good while. I love them! Saw a great deal of sea bird life, including the shy albatross, cape gannet
I also went out scouting for sharks on Lwazi (meaning 'knowledge' in the Xhosa language... one of the local languages of South Africa). Lwazi is a small research boat, so I got to do some crew-work which was fun (another thing for the C.V.!) and took a few fin pictures for I.D.
Last Thursday was the official gathering to celebrate the construction of a southern right whale skeleton in the great white house, which was brilliant, there were some fantastic presentations, along with an amazing time lapse video of it being constructed (by the amazing Anna).
There was free food and wine, which was really really tasty!
I've also been socialising a lot more with the volunteers and interns, who are a lovely bunch of people from the likes of Canada, USA, Switzerland and the UK. We had a night out to a bar called "Captain's Corner" which was one of my favourite nights out here so far!
Yesterday, we saw a southern right whale come extremely close to the boat, the sun was shining and it was just a lovely day in general. I helped to clean the boat after the trip and did some of the volunteer's work, as the majority were at Cape Augalas. Productive day!
I've also started 'project keep fit in Africa'; trying to eat as healthy as possible and go jogging and do some other exercises. Hopefully I will be able to maintain some good willpower and keep it up. I've been jogging two days in a row, and hope to go later (even though I went this morning)...
Later tonight, we're having a pasta night at Nicola's house, one of the marine biologists on the boat.
So I've been on a couple of shark trips, one of which featured a cape fur seal swimming around the boat. I also went on a whale scouting trip with some of the whale scientists and skippers who work here, saw a couple of humpback whales and followed them for a good while. I love them! Saw a great deal of sea bird life, including the shy albatross, cape gannet
I also went out scouting for sharks on Lwazi (meaning 'knowledge' in the Xhosa language... one of the local languages of South Africa). Lwazi is a small research boat, so I got to do some crew-work which was fun (another thing for the C.V.!) and took a few fin pictures for I.D.
Last Thursday was the official gathering to celebrate the construction of a southern right whale skeleton in the great white house, which was brilliant, there were some fantastic presentations, along with an amazing time lapse video of it being constructed (by the amazing Anna).
There was free food and wine, which was really really tasty!
I've also been socialising a lot more with the volunteers and interns, who are a lovely bunch of people from the likes of Canada, USA, Switzerland and the UK. We had a night out to a bar called "Captain's Corner" which was one of my favourite nights out here so far!
Yesterday, we saw a southern right whale come extremely close to the boat, the sun was shining and it was just a lovely day in general. I helped to clean the boat after the trip and did some of the volunteer's work, as the majority were at Cape Augalas. Productive day!
I've also started 'project keep fit in Africa'; trying to eat as healthy as possible and go jogging and do some other exercises. Hopefully I will be able to maintain some good willpower and keep it up. I've been jogging two days in a row, and hope to go later (even though I went this morning)...
Later tonight, we're having a pasta night at Nicola's house, one of the marine biologists on the boat.
Wednesday 13 June 2012
No sea day AGAIN :(
Oh dear, the weather is not our friend... although it appears sunny enough, there is a strong wind forecast for later on today, so the trip is cancelled. Not all is lost, though... it has given me the chance to catch up on inputting my data, and I can start to make some preliminary graphs to see what my data might look like.
Later Amy and I will be contributing our efforts towards the DARWIN database, a piece of software originally designed to help identify the fins of bottlenose dolphins, which are unique to each individual. Marine Dynamics are applying this software to the fin identification of white sharks, using photographs taken on the boat and then putting them into a database via the DARWIN software, which then maps out the shape of the fin. I'm really happy to be a part of this, as it's always good to get some new experience for your C.V!
I'm not sure what will be happening this evening, but it will probably involve getting another early night for the trip tomorrow (if there is one!).
p.s. I've just realised, I've been here a total of 2 weeks! Wow. That went extremely quickly... 7 weeks to go!
Later Amy and I will be contributing our efforts towards the DARWIN database, a piece of software originally designed to help identify the fins of bottlenose dolphins, which are unique to each individual. Marine Dynamics are applying this software to the fin identification of white sharks, using photographs taken on the boat and then putting them into a database via the DARWIN software, which then maps out the shape of the fin. I'm really happy to be a part of this, as it's always good to get some new experience for your C.V!
I'm not sure what will be happening this evening, but it will probably involve getting another early night for the trip tomorrow (if there is one!).
p.s. I've just realised, I've been here a total of 2 weeks! Wow. That went extremely quickly... 7 weeks to go!
Tuesday 12 June 2012
In the cage...
So today I actually ventured into the cage. Unfortunately the visibility was a lot worse, but there were a good few sharks, and I got extremely close to them! They become a whole new animal when you get in the cage with them; graceful and beautiful creatures, gliding through the water. When they go for the bait or decoy, they seem like aquatic acrobats, not too dissimilar to dolphins. When they glide past the cage - it really does feel like they are looking at you, with an almost curious look on their face.
When the time came to get out of the cage, however, it began to get more scary. The sharks became excitable around the bait, and one was hurtling towards me with its mouth open. A formidable sight, its jaws projected forwards, I understood why some treat cage diving as an adrenaline sport! As a second shark went for the bait, its nose actually came into the cage in front of me, but at this point I had not got a mask on and wasn't submerged, which really got my heart racing!
Unfortunately I didn't manage to get any data due to heavy rain. If I had stood on the top deck where I'm supposed to stand (in accordance with my project's methodology), the recording sheet would have been absolutely soaked. 'Cheating' and standing downstairs was also not an option due to the amount of people crowding around the shark cage. I can't really ask them to move as they are paying guests, so I couldn't see a thing! Never mind, I've got more data than I expected to have by this point anyway, I just hope there aren't too many more no sea days/rainy days.
I can't wait to go into the cage again! Hopefully I'll manage to catch a day where the visibility is even better.
When the time came to get out of the cage, however, it began to get more scary. The sharks became excitable around the bait, and one was hurtling towards me with its mouth open. A formidable sight, its jaws projected forwards, I understood why some treat cage diving as an adrenaline sport! As a second shark went for the bait, its nose actually came into the cage in front of me, but at this point I had not got a mask on and wasn't submerged, which really got my heart racing!
Unfortunately I didn't manage to get any data due to heavy rain. If I had stood on the top deck where I'm supposed to stand (in accordance with my project's methodology), the recording sheet would have been absolutely soaked. 'Cheating' and standing downstairs was also not an option due to the amount of people crowding around the shark cage. I can't really ask them to move as they are paying guests, so I couldn't see a thing! Never mind, I've got more data than I expected to have by this point anyway, I just hope there aren't too many more no sea days/rainy days.
I can't wait to go into the cage again! Hopefully I'll manage to catch a day where the visibility is even better.
Monday 11 June 2012
Amazing Visibility!
This morning, whilst doing the washing up, I managed to impale my hand on an upturned knife in the drying rack... blood everywhere! Luckily it didn't hurt too much, and I eventually stemmed the blood to put a plaster on, which soon was also soaked. Whoops!
Another early trip, and the sun was shining lovely. As we pulled up to the diving spot, I could once again see the bottom. Absolutely stunning, and we were at a depth of 10m. This kind of visibility is amazing for the divers and for observing the sharks, but it seems to make them aggregate more. This means when you try to follow one or two individuals, you end up getting really lost and it is almost impossible to follow some of them who don't have distinctive marks on them!
I'm currently sat out in the sun with a hot chocolate talking to a girl called Ingrid from Cape Town, she's going to be with us for a while as she's on her Uni holidays doing some work for Michelle, one of the main researchers here at Marine Dynamics. In about an hour, we'll all be going out whale watching! Hopefully we'll see some nice ones, as I didn't actually spot any this morning.
Tomorrow I'm planning on going in the cage, diving with the sharks! I wish I had an underwater camera, but never mind. Hoping the visibility will be just as amazing as it was today!
Another early trip, and the sun was shining lovely. As we pulled up to the diving spot, I could once again see the bottom. Absolutely stunning, and we were at a depth of 10m. This kind of visibility is amazing for the divers and for observing the sharks, but it seems to make them aggregate more. This means when you try to follow one or two individuals, you end up getting really lost and it is almost impossible to follow some of them who don't have distinctive marks on them!
I'm currently sat out in the sun with a hot chocolate talking to a girl called Ingrid from Cape Town, she's going to be with us for a while as she's on her Uni holidays doing some work for Michelle, one of the main researchers here at Marine Dynamics. In about an hour, we'll all be going out whale watching! Hopefully we'll see some nice ones, as I didn't actually spot any this morning.
Tomorrow I'm planning on going in the cage, diving with the sharks! I wish I had an underwater camera, but never mind. Hoping the visibility will be just as amazing as it was today!
Sunday 10 June 2012
Whale of a time!
Excuse the awful pun, but today I saw a total of 3 southern white whales, and one humpback! A wonderful start to the whale season! Sharks are very active and impressive, but I love how beautiful whales are, and how slowly they seem to move. I really wish I had my camera with me!
The first trip was very early, and absolutely freezing, although the sun soon came up and made for another wonderful day. I managed to get some good data on a couple of returning sharks; one with a strange lump on its side, most possibly a badly healed wound, and another shark with a large hook in its mouth, trailing a fisherman's lure to the side of it. Visibility in the water was lovely, and Amy got some lovely footage on her go-pro camera (an underwater video recorder).
After two trips, I was absolutely exhausted, and went home, had tea then went straight to bed at about 7.30pm! Mostly because I was absolutely freezing and this was the best way to warm up.
The first trip was very early, and absolutely freezing, although the sun soon came up and made for another wonderful day. I managed to get some good data on a couple of returning sharks; one with a strange lump on its side, most possibly a badly healed wound, and another shark with a large hook in its mouth, trailing a fisherman's lure to the side of it. Visibility in the water was lovely, and Amy got some lovely footage on her go-pro camera (an underwater video recorder).
After two trips, I was absolutely exhausted, and went home, had tea then went straight to bed at about 7.30pm! Mostly because I was absolutely freezing and this was the best way to warm up.
Saturday 9 June 2012
Dissolved Face!
So Prometheus wasn't as good as we thought, although it was visually stunning. Despite not being particularly enthralled by the film, I was amazed about was the sizes and prices of the food and drink! I ordered a medium popcorn and drink £3 total! The drink was of expected size, but the popcorn was far bigger than I imagined! Unfortunately they only do salted popcorn, which isn't my favourite, but they do have different flavoured powder that you sprinkle on! I chose salt and vinegar - lovely tasting, but after a while of eating, powdered acetic acid tends to start dissolving your lips and tongue, which is painful.
ANOTHER no sail day, which is disappointing, although apparently tomorrow there are two trips lined up. The weather has picked up today, and the rain is holding off in favour of the sun. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get some good data!
ANOTHER no sail day, which is disappointing, although apparently tomorrow there are two trips lined up. The weather has picked up today, and the rain is holding off in favour of the sun. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get some good data!
Friday 8 June 2012
Prometheus
No sail days are quite boring, so it is nice to have something to look forward to this afternoon when we head over to Cape Town to watch Prometheus, the prequel to Alien. Alien was very good and I'm surprised I haven't seen it before now; it's a lot less scary than I thought it would be!
I'm currently trying to write an entry for Marine Dynamics' blog, about my background and the work I'm doing here. I'm not sure how much detail to go in to really, so I might try to catch Michelle later (the person 'in charge' of the blog). In the mean time, whilst there isn't much happening to fill out this blog, I'll post some pictures I took in the last couple of days.
Above is the view from the boat towards the houses on the sea front. Our holiday home is just behind one of the houses towards the left hand side of this picture. You can see how close we are to the shoreline!
Here is the view from the patio out onto the sea! This is just before sunset at about 6pm.
And finally, one of the Great Whites I'm studying! I'm yet to get the perfect shot, but this is a taster of what it's like to get near one of these wonderful creatures! This one is probably about four meters long.
I'm currently trying to write an entry for Marine Dynamics' blog, about my background and the work I'm doing here. I'm not sure how much detail to go in to really, so I might try to catch Michelle later (the person 'in charge' of the blog). In the mean time, whilst there isn't much happening to fill out this blog, I'll post some pictures I took in the last couple of days.
Above is the view from the boat towards the houses on the sea front. Our holiday home is just behind one of the houses towards the left hand side of this picture. You can see how close we are to the shoreline!
And finally, one of the Great Whites I'm studying! I'm yet to get the perfect shot, but this is a taster of what it's like to get near one of these wonderful creatures! This one is probably about four meters long.
Thursday 7 June 2012
Blustery Day
It's a non-sail day due to high winds. So unfortunately most of today is going to be laptop work based. I've had a second meeting to check I am on track, and I appear to be doing well, especially considering I've only been here for one week. My methods look like they will work, I've just got to get as much data as possible! We're not going out until Sunday though, so I won't have much to do between then and now.
I think tonight we're going to order some sushi and watch Alien (as we'll be heading to the cinema in a few days to watch Prometheus, the prequel). Apart from the weather and work, not much is going on today I'm afraid!
I think tonight we're going to order some sushi and watch Alien (as we'll be heading to the cinema in a few days to watch Prometheus, the prequel). Apart from the weather and work, not much is going on today I'm afraid!
Wednesday 6 June 2012
Penguins Ahoy!
It was a 6am start this morning and it was hard to get out of bed. Once I had made it to the Great White House (the building where Marine Dynamics is based), I felt much more awake and ready to start the day.
We anchored in 'shark alley' due to bad sea conditions, as this is in between Dyer Island and a large rocky outcrop inhabited by cape fur seals (which is really a misnomer, as they are more like sealions than seals in morphology). Despite this 'shelter', the boat was very rocky and a great many guests became sea-sick, which wasn't a pleasant sight. One guest was even violently sick in the diving cage, much to the amusement of some of us on board (including me), as other divers in the cage were unable to escape the floating vomit!
I managed to follow a large male shark with a notch in the top of its caudal fin (tail), and managed to jot down a lot of his behaviour. A smaller female shark was also around the boat for a good deal of time, and I managed to collect a lot of data on her as well. Overall a good day data-wise.
On the way back from the trip, we slowed to watch three penguins swimming about in front of our boat. African penguins are also endangered, and these were the first wild penguins I've ever seen! They were very cute and inquisitive.
Now I'm back and sat out in the sun to warm up from the cold wind of the trip. About to head back to the flat for a warm shower, then might make an attempt at getting on to Skype later if the internet connection allows it!
We anchored in 'shark alley' due to bad sea conditions, as this is in between Dyer Island and a large rocky outcrop inhabited by cape fur seals (which is really a misnomer, as they are more like sealions than seals in morphology). Despite this 'shelter', the boat was very rocky and a great many guests became sea-sick, which wasn't a pleasant sight. One guest was even violently sick in the diving cage, much to the amusement of some of us on board (including me), as other divers in the cage were unable to escape the floating vomit!
I managed to follow a large male shark with a notch in the top of its caudal fin (tail), and managed to jot down a lot of his behaviour. A smaller female shark was also around the boat for a good deal of time, and I managed to collect a lot of data on her as well. Overall a good day data-wise.
On the way back from the trip, we slowed to watch three penguins swimming about in front of our boat. African penguins are also endangered, and these were the first wild penguins I've ever seen! They were very cute and inquisitive.
Now I'm back and sat out in the sun to warm up from the cold wind of the trip. About to head back to the flat for a warm shower, then might make an attempt at getting on to Skype later if the internet connection allows it!
Tuesday 5 June 2012
Stormy Day
Today was a no-sail day
due to bad weather. At first, the day was just overcast and cold.
However, by lunchtime there was a light rain, and by half past three,
a full-on thunderstorm had developed. Luckily before the downpour
happened, I had managed to get home relatively dry. I noticed that
the sand-fleas were going absolutely bananas on the sand, hopping all
over the place! No wonder the cape wagtails are so fat and abundant,
with all that food about.
The first lightning
struck as I sat down for a cup of tea, so I opened the net curtains
to see if I could watch out for it. As the storm grew nearer towards
me, the lightning became more frequent and deafeningly loud. I love
lightning, just how dramatic and colourful it is, as well as the
thrill of the loud thunder that follows. I began to unplug all the
appliances and turn off lights as I wasn’t sure South African
electrical wiring was up to any lightning strikes, and didn’t fancy
any surges blowing up my laptop or the T.V. As the storm began to
pass, I decided it was probably safe to plug my laptop back in.
Literally seconds after doing so, lightning struck the sea about 50m
from the shoreline! It sounded like cannon fire. I ran to unplug my
laptop again, just in case of another strike.
After a few minutes, I
heard voices outside the door and assumed Amy had returned, perhaps
with Ed and Anna. However, it was the landlord and lady, who are
absolutely lovely! They had come to check if Amy and I were ok, and
also to bring round a couple of candles, a gas cooker and Anneke (the
landlady, who has a really unusually spelled name, so I just wrote it
how it sounds) had made some ‘mudcake’, which I have just tried a
piece of, and it is gorgeous. It is basically a kind of home-made
chocolate fudge. Amy will have to get back soon if she wants a piece
(joking!). I hope to go over to their house (just in front of ours)
at some point, as Anneke keeps inviting us over for some tea!
Monday 4 June 2012
No such thing as Monday blues...
I was awoken by the sound of a fog horn in the distance, and drew the curtains to a thick grey mist covering the garden. I assumed today would be bad weather, and wrapped up warm, then stepped outside to find that the fog had been blown out to sea only to be replaced by bright, warm sunshine.
Working with Marine Dynamics, there is no such thing as Monday blues! I spent the morning in the garden outside the office trying to chase a beautiful sunbird, attempting to get a nice photograph of it. Unfortunately, the bird eluded me, but I'm sure I'll get it one of these days!
After that, it was time to set sail again. The mood on board was upbeat as usual, and it wasn't long before we saw our first shark of the day. This time, I was ready with my data capture sheet and managed to collect some good data. I noticed one of the sharks appeared to have a tactic of gently approaching the bait, feigning interest, then suddenly snapping back around to grab it.
After a good while of data capture, I set about taking photos (some of which I will eventually get around to posting on here). I think I got a couple of good ones! Then it was the end of another exciting trip, and we began to head home. After disembarking Slashfin, the name of our boat, we proceeded to walk up the road back to the office. Unfortunately, a group of fishermen decided to drive past us with a boat full of dead Copper sharks (Carcharhinus brachyurus). I'm not sure any of the guests noticed or cared, but I found it appalling. How are groups like Marine Dynamics supposed to promote the conservation of sharks and other marine life when people like this are driving up and down with their catch on such open display?!
Anyway, I am currently writing this blog in the garden, the sun beginning to set in front of me. Hopefully tonight we will be heading to Ed and Anna's house to eat some leftovers from the braai and watch a couple of films.
Working with Marine Dynamics, there is no such thing as Monday blues! I spent the morning in the garden outside the office trying to chase a beautiful sunbird, attempting to get a nice photograph of it. Unfortunately, the bird eluded me, but I'm sure I'll get it one of these days!
After that, it was time to set sail again. The mood on board was upbeat as usual, and it wasn't long before we saw our first shark of the day. This time, I was ready with my data capture sheet and managed to collect some good data. I noticed one of the sharks appeared to have a tactic of gently approaching the bait, feigning interest, then suddenly snapping back around to grab it.
After a good while of data capture, I set about taking photos (some of which I will eventually get around to posting on here). I think I got a couple of good ones! Then it was the end of another exciting trip, and we began to head home. After disembarking Slashfin, the name of our boat, we proceeded to walk up the road back to the office. Unfortunately, a group of fishermen decided to drive past us with a boat full of dead Copper sharks (Carcharhinus brachyurus). I'm not sure any of the guests noticed or cared, but I found it appalling. How are groups like Marine Dynamics supposed to promote the conservation of sharks and other marine life when people like this are driving up and down with their catch on such open display?!
Anyway, I am currently writing this blog in the garden, the sun beginning to set in front of me. Hopefully tonight we will be heading to Ed and Anna's house to eat some leftovers from the braai and watch a couple of films.
Sunday 3 June 2012
Sunday Braai
Woke up to glorious sunshine, ready for my next outing! This time I was going to trial my data capture sheet to see how easy and effective it was. As soon as the boat reached its anchor point for the cage diving, I grabbed the Secchi disk to measure water visibility. However, looking over the side of the boat, we could see the bottom of the sea! Crystal clear visibility like this is very rare, according to one of the crew. It apparently only happens for a couple of weeks in the year!
It was pointless using the Secchi disk, so I turned my attention to helping Ali by noting down the properties of the water itself (dissolved oxygen content etc.). As soon as we lowered it to get the surface information, a humongous shark rolled up. As amazing as it was, this meant Ali couldn't collect any more information due to the fact sharks enjoy a bit of a nibble on shiny electrical implements!
And so I took my post on the top deck for maximum visual range, ready to record behaviour. Despite the amazing visibility in the water, this was not as easy as it seemed. The sharks were in an interesting mood today, and at one point there were six individual sharks swimming around the boat! Brilliant if you're a tourist, but extremely difficult when you're trying to keep an eye on only one shark! The crew, Amy and Ali were all very excited, but I was with the guests in that I didn't realise the treat that lay before me (due to lack of experience in these things). The number of individual sharks ran into double figures, something that is apparently very unusual.
After recording data for three different sharks, I stopped. Clearly this was an unusual day, and there were far too many sharks to follow effectively and record good data. Instead, I enjoyed the view in front of me, and watched as shark after shark swam around the boat, almost like a school of fish (sharks are not social animals normally). The sun was shining, and this was an experience that I didn't want to miss completely with my head down in a spreadsheet!
And so we headed back, everyone on the boat was buzzing at what they had just witnessed.
That evening there was a braai (a South-African style barbeque). I made homemade burgers - although I didn't realise that burgers are a taboo for braais! Although I was assured that I was the exception for making them home-made, phew! So eventually the beers were flowing and the braai was burning away. An eccentric Mexican by the name of Pepe arrived, along with home-made dips such as salsa, guacamole and some hot tomato stuff (immense), as well as some home-made tortilla chips!!! Absolutely delicious!
Everyone having filled up on the delicious starters (which included some corn casserole and mac 'n' cheese made by a lovely American woman called Tammy), it was time to get some meat on the braai. All nine burgers went on, but I only had room for one. I hadn't realised that it was customary for everyone to bring their own meat, and that there were also a few vegetarians... d'oh! So there were eight burgers left over, and nothing saddens me more than good food left over! However, at least I was sorted with food for the next couple of days.
Amy and I headed home at about 10.30 (we only live a few seconds away), and I got in bed with a satisfyingly full stomach, read a chapter of The Hobbit and fell fast asleep, ready for the following day's adventure.
It was pointless using the Secchi disk, so I turned my attention to helping Ali by noting down the properties of the water itself (dissolved oxygen content etc.). As soon as we lowered it to get the surface information, a humongous shark rolled up. As amazing as it was, this meant Ali couldn't collect any more information due to the fact sharks enjoy a bit of a nibble on shiny electrical implements!
And so I took my post on the top deck for maximum visual range, ready to record behaviour. Despite the amazing visibility in the water, this was not as easy as it seemed. The sharks were in an interesting mood today, and at one point there were six individual sharks swimming around the boat! Brilliant if you're a tourist, but extremely difficult when you're trying to keep an eye on only one shark! The crew, Amy and Ali were all very excited, but I was with the guests in that I didn't realise the treat that lay before me (due to lack of experience in these things). The number of individual sharks ran into double figures, something that is apparently very unusual.
After recording data for three different sharks, I stopped. Clearly this was an unusual day, and there were far too many sharks to follow effectively and record good data. Instead, I enjoyed the view in front of me, and watched as shark after shark swam around the boat, almost like a school of fish (sharks are not social animals normally). The sun was shining, and this was an experience that I didn't want to miss completely with my head down in a spreadsheet!
And so we headed back, everyone on the boat was buzzing at what they had just witnessed.
That evening there was a braai (a South-African style barbeque). I made homemade burgers - although I didn't realise that burgers are a taboo for braais! Although I was assured that I was the exception for making them home-made, phew! So eventually the beers were flowing and the braai was burning away. An eccentric Mexican by the name of Pepe arrived, along with home-made dips such as salsa, guacamole and some hot tomato stuff (immense), as well as some home-made tortilla chips!!! Absolutely delicious!
Everyone having filled up on the delicious starters (which included some corn casserole and mac 'n' cheese made by a lovely American woman called Tammy), it was time to get some meat on the braai. All nine burgers went on, but I only had room for one. I hadn't realised that it was customary for everyone to bring their own meat, and that there were also a few vegetarians... d'oh! So there were eight burgers left over, and nothing saddens me more than good food left over! However, at least I was sorted with food for the next couple of days.
Amy and I headed home at about 10.30 (we only live a few seconds away), and I got in bed with a satisfyingly full stomach, read a chapter of The Hobbit and fell fast asleep, ready for the following day's adventure.
Saturday 2 June 2012
Saturday Outing!
There's no such thing as a weekend here at Marine Dynamics. Not that I'm complaining. Saturday morning, and we're heading out again to see sharks. What a life the permanent workers here lead!
Once more, a tonne of sharks showed up to play. This time I had my camera ready! The guests all seemed to love it still, and I can certainly sympathise! It was amazing. Ally, a marine biologist from Manchester, got a high reading for oxygen content of the water, meaning that the sharks were getting an extra energy boost. You could certainly tell! There were a couple of really big sharks around the boat today, it is hard to imagine just how big these animals get! Estimated to be around 4m, the biggest shark swam lazily around the boat for much of the time we were out there, giving the occasional lunge towards the decoy (a 'seal shaped' piece of wood) and the bait. She seemed to enjoy swimming right past the cage the guests were in, giving them a fantastic underwater view of herself. Once more, the reactions were brilliant!
After the trip, I managed to grab a word with Michelle about my methodology. After all, she is a behavioural ecologist, and my project is about shark behaviour! Luckily, our ideas for data capture methods were very similar (something I'm quite chuffed about!), and I confirmed how I would collect my data.
Once more, a tonne of sharks showed up to play. This time I had my camera ready! The guests all seemed to love it still, and I can certainly sympathise! It was amazing. Ally, a marine biologist from Manchester, got a high reading for oxygen content of the water, meaning that the sharks were getting an extra energy boost. You could certainly tell! There were a couple of really big sharks around the boat today, it is hard to imagine just how big these animals get! Estimated to be around 4m, the biggest shark swam lazily around the boat for much of the time we were out there, giving the occasional lunge towards the decoy (a 'seal shaped' piece of wood) and the bait. She seemed to enjoy swimming right past the cage the guests were in, giving them a fantastic underwater view of herself. Once more, the reactions were brilliant!
After the trip, I managed to grab a word with Michelle about my methodology. After all, she is a behavioural ecologist, and my project is about shark behaviour! Luckily, our ideas for data capture methods were very similar (something I'm quite chuffed about!), and I confirmed how I would collect my data.
Friday 1 June 2012
Hermanus
My second day here was lovely. Amy, Ed, Anna and I all headed off to Hermanus to get some equipment and such. Another lovely town, I would really consider living there! Famous for whale-spotting, the cliff at the sea-front boasted stunning views of the bay. However, it is not currently whale season, so we didn't see any.
After walking about attempting to find a digital watch for myself, we gave up and headed for a late lunch at one of the restaurants. I ordered a pumpkin and halloumi salad in an attempt to be healthy (it was also quite cheap!). However, when it came, it was stack upon stack of halloumi cheese and pumpkin, with a few rocket leaves underneath. As tasty as it was (and it was very tasty!), my attempts to be healthy had worked out to be in vain, and I was soon full from the vast quantities of fried, salty Cypriot cheese.
Today was another roasting hot day, which again pleasantly surprised me due to it being winter. I wish winter was like this in the UK!
After climbing into bed at the end of the day, my thoughts soon turned to home and I began to feel a little sad, wishing Ian could be here to experience this with me. Although I'm glad to be having a good time so that it's easy to push how much I miss him into the back of my mind. Having The Hobbit to read has also proven a good distraction method in the evenings!
After walking about attempting to find a digital watch for myself, we gave up and headed for a late lunch at one of the restaurants. I ordered a pumpkin and halloumi salad in an attempt to be healthy (it was also quite cheap!). However, when it came, it was stack upon stack of halloumi cheese and pumpkin, with a few rocket leaves underneath. As tasty as it was (and it was very tasty!), my attempts to be healthy had worked out to be in vain, and I was soon full from the vast quantities of fried, salty Cypriot cheese.
Today was another roasting hot day, which again pleasantly surprised me due to it being winter. I wish winter was like this in the UK!
After climbing into bed at the end of the day, my thoughts soon turned to home and I began to feel a little sad, wishing Ian could be here to experience this with me. Although I'm glad to be having a good time so that it's easy to push how much I miss him into the back of my mind. Having The Hobbit to read has also proven a good distraction method in the evenings!
Thursday 31 May 2012
First Day
Waking up to bright sunshine through the window was pleasant and surprising, given it is supposed to be winter here. The place we are staying in is beautiful. A small holiday home, not that different from the small holiday chalets you get on the Isle of Wight in the UK. Out the front is a stunning sea view, and the front door is less than 100m from the sea front. I could tell this was going to be epic!
My first outing to see the sharks was a very exciting prospect. After meeting a few of the lovely employees here at Marine Dynamics, Amy and I got our gear on to venture out to the sea with the guests.
What a sight! The sharks were definitely playing ball. I'm not sure if it was because we were the only boat out there due to a large swell that had come in, or whether the sharks were super-pumped that day, but they were jumping about all over the place. A few managed to get the bait, and one even grabbed the rope the bait was on, pulling it until its teeth actually sliced through the rope itself! It goes to show just how sharp the shark's teeth actually are! Another shark swam right up to the cage the guests were in and hovered there, staring straight in at them! What a sight that must have been. Sure enough, the guests came back up to breathe and the excitement was evident in their shrieks and laughs.
We were out there for quite a long time, although it did not seem like it. Time certainly flies when you're having fun! Mooring up, I felt quite shell-shocked at what I had just witnessed. I feel so privileged to be able to do this almost every day throughout the two months I'm here!
I was also surprised at how well the guests are treated, the whole crew is extremely friendly, and always ready to help. There was food and drinks in the morning before we left (I sneaked a little orange juice!), food on board (sneaked a packet of crisps...) and some hot, tasty soup to warm everyone up afterwards when we all got back (also sneaked a mug and some buttery bread). Of the small number of dive companies I've seen down this road, I certainly think Marine Dynamics is one of the better ones, if not the best one here!
*Note: bait in this case is some fish heads tied to a rope with a buoy designed to attract the sharks. It is illegal to feed the GW sharks in South Africa, although they do occasionally manage to 'outsmart' the bait-thrower and grab it! This does not harm the shark.*
My first outing to see the sharks was a very exciting prospect. After meeting a few of the lovely employees here at Marine Dynamics, Amy and I got our gear on to venture out to the sea with the guests.
What a sight! The sharks were definitely playing ball. I'm not sure if it was because we were the only boat out there due to a large swell that had come in, or whether the sharks were super-pumped that day, but they were jumping about all over the place. A few managed to get the bait, and one even grabbed the rope the bait was on, pulling it until its teeth actually sliced through the rope itself! It goes to show just how sharp the shark's teeth actually are! Another shark swam right up to the cage the guests were in and hovered there, staring straight in at them! What a sight that must have been. Sure enough, the guests came back up to breathe and the excitement was evident in their shrieks and laughs.
We were out there for quite a long time, although it did not seem like it. Time certainly flies when you're having fun! Mooring up, I felt quite shell-shocked at what I had just witnessed. I feel so privileged to be able to do this almost every day throughout the two months I'm here!
I was also surprised at how well the guests are treated, the whole crew is extremely friendly, and always ready to help. There was food and drinks in the morning before we left (I sneaked a little orange juice!), food on board (sneaked a packet of crisps...) and some hot, tasty soup to warm everyone up afterwards when we all got back (also sneaked a mug and some buttery bread). Of the small number of dive companies I've seen down this road, I certainly think Marine Dynamics is one of the better ones, if not the best one here!
*Note: bait in this case is some fish heads tied to a rope with a buoy designed to attract the sharks. It is illegal to feed the GW sharks in South Africa, although they do occasionally manage to 'outsmart' the bait-thrower and grab it! This does not harm the shark.*
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Simon's Town
After being picked up from the airport, it was time to go and meet Amy in Simon's Town.My driver was a local middle-aged man who appeared somewhat distracted and disorganised, but he was nice enough and told me the occasional interesting fact about what I could see from the window of the mini-van.
After 45 minutes of travel, we eventually reached Simon's Town. A wonderfully pretty coastal town with a small harbour and a naval port harbouring a large American vessel. After locating the backpacker's hostel and Amy, I set about wandering around the place whilst we waited for Amy's friend Ed to come over and pick us up.
Eventually, Ed arrived. My first potential Africa-based friend; a foul-mouthed, yet friendly man from Stoke. Exhausted from my trip, I slept most of the way, occasionally waking up and chipping in with comments about films, which seemed the main topic of discussion between Ed and Amy.
Arriving in Kleinbaai, we decided to grab a take-away pizza, and visit the local boozer to meet some of Amy's friends, the people who I would be working with for the next couple of months. Unfortunately, I was drowsy, delirious and somewhat unready to meet my new companions, so I'm not sure I made the best first impression. However, they seemed a little tipsy so I'm hoping nobody noticed!
After a while, we headed back to Ed and his girlfriend Anna's house to eat the pizza, then I managed to finally get to bed!
After 45 minutes of travel, we eventually reached Simon's Town. A wonderfully pretty coastal town with a small harbour and a naval port harbouring a large American vessel. After locating the backpacker's hostel and Amy, I set about wandering around the place whilst we waited for Amy's friend Ed to come over and pick us up.
Eventually, Ed arrived. My first potential Africa-based friend; a foul-mouthed, yet friendly man from Stoke. Exhausted from my trip, I slept most of the way, occasionally waking up and chipping in with comments about films, which seemed the main topic of discussion between Ed and Amy.
Arriving in Kleinbaai, we decided to grab a take-away pizza, and visit the local boozer to meet some of Amy's friends, the people who I would be working with for the next couple of months. Unfortunately, I was drowsy, delirious and somewhat unready to meet my new companions, so I'm not sure I made the best first impression. However, they seemed a little tipsy so I'm hoping nobody noticed!
After a while, we headed back to Ed and his girlfriend Anna's house to eat the pizza, then I managed to finally get to bed!
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Setting Off
It took me a week to pack. Partially due to excitement-induced paranoia that I'd leave something important behind, and partially because I had to vacate the house I have lived in for the past year, so everything had to be sorted.
Hauling my humongous bag into the back of Ian's car, I was desperately hoping that it would be under the 30kg limit... it certainly didn't feel like it! Here I was, finally about to make my way out to South Africa for the second time in my life, but this time I would be gone a total of two months and four days. The thought made me queasy. Over two months away from my beloved Ian! But two awesome months studying the majestic, awe-inspiring beast known as the Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)... sorry, my inner science geek coming through there!
As the signs for terminal one loomed above me in the car, I unexpectedly burst into tears. I'm not usually a soppy type at all, but I think the thought of coming out of my precious little 'Leeds bubble' caught me off guard and the tears began to flow. Once in the terminal, a drink and a croissant with Ian managed to calm me down. We sat and chatted for about an hour and a half, before the time came that I had to head to security to wait for my plane. As Ian turned to hug me goodbye, I couldn't help it... I was full-on sobbing! Feeling sad, extremely embarrassed and worried about the adventure I had in front of me, I eventually had to let go and head into the bag-checking area with the bravest face I could muster. I knew my eyes looked red, and I was extremely jittery, and so was very surprised when I wasn't pulled aside for extra security checks!
In the waiting area I found some comfort in reading the only book I had managed to bring with me: The Hobbit. I could totally sympathise with Bilbo as Gandalf and the dwarves tore him out of his comfy little hobbit-hole off to fight a dragon.
The plane was fantastic! I've never flown with Emirates before, but the food, entertainment and comfort was lovely. By the time I was at Dubai airport, I felt well-fed and ready for the mini-adventure that was finding the correct departure gate! Powering through the airport along the travelators, sweating from the heat and stress (Side note: I don't think I'll ever live in Dubai, far too hot! Midnight and 30 degrees!!!) I eventually reached the end of the terminal, where my gate was. More waiting around and reading The Hobbit. Dubai airport reminded me of a clean and less-hostile version of Mos-Eisley Spaceport. The range of races, colours and religions all packed into one building was fascinating!
So, it was time for my final flight. The flight was nothing exceptional, except that coming in to land in Cape Town, I was surprised at how green it was. I realised it was winter in these parts, but the majority of Africa I had seen from the plane window, even south of the equator, had been a sandy brown colour. Struck by the beauty of this part of the world, I was now ready to face the adventure in front of me.
Hauling my humongous bag into the back of Ian's car, I was desperately hoping that it would be under the 30kg limit... it certainly didn't feel like it! Here I was, finally about to make my way out to South Africa for the second time in my life, but this time I would be gone a total of two months and four days. The thought made me queasy. Over two months away from my beloved Ian! But two awesome months studying the majestic, awe-inspiring beast known as the Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)... sorry, my inner science geek coming through there!
As the signs for terminal one loomed above me in the car, I unexpectedly burst into tears. I'm not usually a soppy type at all, but I think the thought of coming out of my precious little 'Leeds bubble' caught me off guard and the tears began to flow. Once in the terminal, a drink and a croissant with Ian managed to calm me down. We sat and chatted for about an hour and a half, before the time came that I had to head to security to wait for my plane. As Ian turned to hug me goodbye, I couldn't help it... I was full-on sobbing! Feeling sad, extremely embarrassed and worried about the adventure I had in front of me, I eventually had to let go and head into the bag-checking area with the bravest face I could muster. I knew my eyes looked red, and I was extremely jittery, and so was very surprised when I wasn't pulled aside for extra security checks!
In the waiting area I found some comfort in reading the only book I had managed to bring with me: The Hobbit. I could totally sympathise with Bilbo as Gandalf and the dwarves tore him out of his comfy little hobbit-hole off to fight a dragon.
The plane was fantastic! I've never flown with Emirates before, but the food, entertainment and comfort was lovely. By the time I was at Dubai airport, I felt well-fed and ready for the mini-adventure that was finding the correct departure gate! Powering through the airport along the travelators, sweating from the heat and stress (Side note: I don't think I'll ever live in Dubai, far too hot! Midnight and 30 degrees!!!) I eventually reached the end of the terminal, where my gate was. More waiting around and reading The Hobbit. Dubai airport reminded me of a clean and less-hostile version of Mos-Eisley Spaceport. The range of races, colours and religions all packed into one building was fascinating!
So, it was time for my final flight. The flight was nothing exceptional, except that coming in to land in Cape Town, I was surprised at how green it was. I realised it was winter in these parts, but the majority of Africa I had seen from the plane window, even south of the equator, had been a sandy brown colour. Struck by the beauty of this part of the world, I was now ready to face the adventure in front of me.
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