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A Great White Shark
expedition is amongst the most special things you can give yourself
as a lifetime experience. Something so exciting and special, that you
will never forget it. A strong memory to carry with you for the rest
of your life. To experience the
Great White Shark alive in its own natural environment is truly something
extraordinary. The powerful presence of a Great White Shark will touch
your heart, steal a piece and never give it back!!!!! We would like to
share this experience with you and subsequently you can join us for
10 days on a White Shark Expedition. What our expeditions are all about...
The little fishing
harbour is boiling with activity as the fishermen launch their boats
to go out and catch their livelihood.
Somewhere out there the Great Whites are making their way through
the temperate waters of the Atlantic ocean, to make their livelyhood.
With a feeling of
huge anticipation we launch our vessel and start our half hour journey
to Dyer Island.
Dyer Island is home
to a huge marine bird population and amongst the species to be found
there are Cormorants, Oyster catchers, Gulls, Turns, Gannets and last
but not least it hosts a population of approximately 20.000 of the protected
Jack Ass Penguins. Geyser Rock on the other hand is home to approximately
60.000 of the protected Cape Fur seals. Separating the two
islands is a shallow channel which we call the "shark alley”. The channel
is roughly 150 meters wide and 600 meters long and is without a doubt,
one of the absolute Great White Shark Mecca's of the world. In this
area we have seen White Sharks attacking seals and birds, we have seen
Great White Sharks jumping completely clear out of the water and on
occasions we have seen White Sharks inflicting wounds on each other
while in combat. Thousands of days have been spent around the islands
working, some of them very successful and some of them less successful.
On one occasion we sighted 21 Great White Sharks in one day. That was
a very successful day indeed! Once the site is
reached we will start recording all environmental conditions. At the
same time the crewmembers will start preparing the chum and the baits.
Once we have started baiting and chumming we will wait for the sharks
to appear. The wait can be anything from a few minutes to several hours.
Once the sharks arrive our day is taken up by observing, recording,
photographing, filming and cage work. We will spend quite
a lot of time in the cages photographing and filming the white sharks.
This way we acquire material that can be used to study behaviour, markings,
pigmentation etc. it is also an aid in the sexing of younger Great White
Sharks which are often difficult to sex from the surface. Along with this,
we will do other types of tests with the sharks such as colour sensitivity
& preference, tracking, etc. depending of what program we are running
at the time of the expedition. As a member of the expedition you are
a part of the team and you will get the opportunity to participate in
all the activities taking place on and off the boat. Once back on shore
the boats and the equipment will be washed and prepared for the next
day. Baits and chum will be prepared and anything else needing attention
will be taken care of for the next research day. When all duties are
taken care of we will relax and ponder over the day at sea. On some
of the evenings we will give interesting lectures about the Great White
Shark and its different aspects. During the lectures we will also show
slides and videos etc. The expeditions are
designed to educate and train members in the field of natural biological
research of the Great White Shark. By the end of an expedition, the
potential expeditionary will have gained enough experience to qualify
as competent field assistant. This level of competence will then enable
that person if he / she so wishes, to apply to the South African White
Shark Research Institute for a voluntary position on future expeditions
and filming trips. The following
expedition dates are available for 2005
If you are interested
in our expeditions you are welcome to contact us regarding costs and
availability of space or fill out the Membership Expedition
Application Form. .............. PO
Box 50775, V & A Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa
A Sad Story |
Warning! |
Why Shark Research?
| Conservation & Education |
