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.
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