THE
GREAT WHITE SHARK:
This is
an extraordinary and exciting way to come face to face, learn about and
enjoy one of the most exquisite and mysterious gifts of mother nature, the
Great White Shark!
"Look
into the mouth of this ocean
predator ...it's as big as a delivery van! Great
White Shark cage diving is incredible!"
Roaming the
worlds oceans, the Great White Shark is undoubtedly the greatest predatory
force of the seas. Cloaked in myth, misunderstanding and fear, this awesome
animal remains a mystery to man.
This Great White Shark
project is
a unique opportunity to view the Great White Shark in its natural
environment, either from a boat or an underwater cage. You'll
also see other wildlife species, including Cape Gannets, Bryde Whales,
Cape Fur Seals, Dolphins and Jackass Penguins.
Sharks are intelligent
and vulnerable, deserving of sympathy and respect. Education helps people
to lose the Jaws phenomenon and gain the realisation that sharks are a
complex and precious species, living in the water – just doing their best
to survive.
.
On this project
Travellers works with
a world leading organisation focusing
on the Great White Shark. Founded in 1989 purely as a research centre, it now
collects information which is passed on to, and is used by, other research
organisations. Since
1989 it has grown and broadened its services to include an excellent film
department, diving and viewing centre and a separate conservation and
educational department. "Everything
we do we aim to do in harmony with nature and the environment we are working
in.”
Craig and his
dedicated Shark Team have been conducting population dynamics and
behavioural research since 1991. Craig’s father formed the original shark
project and was responsible for having the Great White declared as a protected
and endangered species in South Africa.
After a shark attacked
a girl further up the coast, several teams got together to form a research
centre with the intention of creating a better understanding these animals. Up
until then no real research had taken place. Contrary to popular opinion, shark
attacks are rare, with only 20 to 30 fatal attacks each year worldwide.
The
media hype of these attacks along with the classic movies have installed a
primitive fear in humans – that of being eaten alive. This fear has been
exaggerated, exploited and then marketed at the expense of the well being of the
shark species. Sharks' natural feeding areas are seal colonies, not a beach
packed with surfers.
The organisation we
work with
undertakes much cage diving with sharks. This was originally thought of as a bad
idea, as it was believed that by baiting humans in cages, sharks would associate
humans as food, through the process of conditioning.
However, our partner
organisation disputes this as sharks are highly nomadic animals, their territory
ranging over vast areas, even across continents. Research shows that a shark
would never stay in one place long enough to become conditioned. They also
disagree that cage diving is dangerous on the basis that a shark cannot mentally
separate the human diver from the cage.
YOUR
WORK
MINI PROJECTS & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
When you arrive, you'll
be given a lot of training before starting your actual work. This training
will consist of most of the elements of a two-week course which the project offers the
general public. However, whereas the general public go home after
completing their course, you will be working with project staff to assist in their
research and fight against the encroaching possible extinction of the Great
White.
Your Training: You'll receive training in White Shark biology, research, behaviour,
conservation, changing attitudes, shark attacks, basic seamanship, underwater
filming, still photography and shark tourism.
Part of the training will be in the form of slides and videos. They will take
place in the evenings after you return from sea, or on off-sea days.
Weather permitting you will go to sea frequently. At sea, you'll get involved
as much as possible with all aspects of sea work. This will be focused on
working with the sharks from above and below the water. Much emphasis will be
placed on observing behaviour and the interactions of sharks around the boat.
You will be taught how to get in and out of the cage and how to remain secure
and safe in the cage. Participants in the cages will record observations of
the White Sharks. This will include sex, size, markings and behaviour.
You'll also be taught the basics of how to set the camera up, how to use it
under water and how to obtain the best images.
This
training is designed to
educate you to a level of competence of a field
assistant. During the training, you will be evaluated on
how you handle teamwork, take your own
initiatives, take interest in the work and activities, show interest in
learning. Thereafter,
you'll participate in assisting the shark organisation and the CEES (The
SA White Conservation, Education and Exploration Society) with various duties
and responsibilities, including helping to educate locals and children on the
Great White.
The Conservation,
Education and Exploration Society is an organisation dedicated to the
exploration
and conservation of the world's greatest predator, and the preservation of its
environment. Your work with them will help to achieve their objectives of
gathering sufficient accurate data on the white sharks to assist in management
programmes for the ensured survival of the species, as well as striving to
change negative public attitude towards sharks through awareness and
education, because it is almost impossible to ensure the survival of a hated
species!
Location: The
program will run out of Gaansbaai, South Africa. The White Shark
fieldwork will take place around Dyer Island and possibly other shark
locations. Dyer Island (Shark Alley!) is possibly the best place in the world
to see Great Whites. Gaansbaai is a seaside village, which depends on fishing
and tourism for its survival. It is situated approximately two hours south
east of Cape Town.
The shark team document
much shark activity using aerial surveys of the island. On one of the main
research sites, Dyer Island, many other wildlife species can be viewed from
the boat. It is the breeding ground for Jackass Penguins, Cape Cormorants and
Gannets, whilst Geyser Rock opposite, is a breeding mecca for Cape Fur Seals
and currently home to approximately 20 000 seals. In season Whales and an
occasional Dolphin can be spotted. This is a perfect habitat for the Great
White.
The
sharks have been awesome. The largest one I've seen so far was a 3.5m shark
nicknamed "Slashfin" because her dorsal fin is cut. She looks a lot bigger up
close, I can tell you! Got to see a "predation" as well - a shark take out a
seal. Was all over in a matter of minutes, just a pool of blood on the surface
to tell the tale. Also saw a Southern Right whale out on the water which was
pretty cool. Andrew
Burge, 2005
A
Typical Day:
The first boat trip usually goes out at 8:30am. The tourists arrive from Cape
Town around 7:30am for a breakfast at the Lodge. Volunteers get up around 6:00am
to help with preparing the equipment (wet suits, masks, etc.) for the day.
You'll have breakfast and be ready to welcome the guests at 7:30am. You'll walk
the guests a short 5 minute walk to the launch site. Once on the boat, you'll
help the crew in any way you can. This includes getting the boat anchored,
helping the guests get kitted out for their cage dive, help with the chumming,
and anything else that crops up. Once the boat trip is over, you'll wash the
boat down and pack all the kit up to take back to the lodge. The equipment needs
to be washed and hung to dry for the next day. If it is busy there might be a
second boat trip so all the above is repeated. If not, you have the rest of the
day off. This daily routine takes place 7 days a week. If it’s a quiet day, you
may have the opportunity to go on the Whale Watching boat (if there is space)
for no charge.
Skills learned from the Project: You'll learn many new skills (depending on your previous experience) -
everything to do with running a boat and keeping it in a good working order.
You'll also learn ways to identify the sharks and study their behaviour. A lot
of researchers use the boat trips to collect data, so speaking to them will
teach you a lot as well.
Research: Volunteers help the project staff to fill in data sheets for the sharks they
spot day to day. There is no scientific research carried out by the project
itself. It is a tourist operation, but their sightings are sent back to Cape
Town to the researchers and this information is used by them.
Volunteer
Requirements: Any volunteer applying for this project should be hard working, have a
genuine interest in the sharks and be up for mucking in at all times. We don't
recommend it for anyone with a ‘shark curiosity’ as we feel you may get bored
very quickly. The day-to-day routine does not change, the real thrill is seeing
the sharks. If you are not passionate about the creatures, the novelty could
wear thin quite quickly. There isn’t much to do outside of work hours, so you
must be able to amuse yourself - the crew does go for drinks sometimes and our
volunteers are invited along, but they all have families to go home to and it’s
an early start, so no big parties.
Positive aspects of
this project are the sharks (obviously!) and an active outdoor lifestyle in a
stunning environment. Generally, our volunteers can go on the boat everyday - if
there is room. You'll usually be able to dive in the cage as many times as you
like as well, depending on tourist numbers. There is generally space on the
boats most days, a full boat is not a daily occurrence.
ABOUT
THE GREAT WHITE SHARK
About Dyer Island:The name of the island
originated from an African American, Samson Dyer, who went to live on the island
in the 19th century. He collected "guano" (bird droppings), and made a living
from supplying it to farmers on the mainland as fertilizer. The boats that
transported the guano from the island
are today in the Maritime Museum at the Waterfront in
Cape Town.
Dyer Island (larger island) is the breeding ground of Jackass Penguins, Cape
Cormorants and Gannets, while Geyser Rock (smaller island) is a breeding
Mecca for Cape Fur Seals and currently home to approx. 50 000 seals.
In season,
whales and dolphins may also be spotted.
Sharks are intelligent and vulnerable,
deserving of sympathy and respect. Education helps people to lose the Jaws
phenomenon and gain the realisation that sharks are a complex and precious
species, living in the water – just doing their best to survive.
100,000,000 sharks are killed each year by humans, usually through fishing. They
are, as a result, on a collision course with extinction. Great White Sharks are
the last wild predator on earth that we cannot tame; from that point of view
alone it deserves our respect and attention.
How could our oceans be the same without the glorious Great White beneath its
surface.
Great White Sharks are very stable animals,
displaying stable and predictable behaviour. They do not like to fight with or
bite one another. They are highly intelligent animals, able to learn quickly and
to remember. This is all new and contradictory evidence in the field and it is
apparent that the Shark Team are just scratching the surface now.
Finding the Great White, or letting them
find you, is a skill, involving years of practice, the water temperature, depth,
visibility, swell height, current and wind direction are all major factors. Once
the site is found, the bait is prepared and the team awaits the shark,
respecting it as a free animal. A recent tagging project was very successful
allowing a number of Great Whites to be tracked.
Possible Extinction: Considering the incredible number of between 150 - 200 million sharks
destroyed each year, there is a potential threat of extinction to these species.
Most sharks are slow growing, have late maturation and low fecundity and this is
the shark's downfall. They cannot replace their stocks to keep up with human
exploitation, such as say, sardines can. Lets look at the Great White Shark. The
Great White Shark female takes approximately 15 years to become sexually mature,
and the male about 8 years. At these ages the female will be around five meters
long and the male around four meters long. The Great White Sharks' fecundity is
low, so the female may possibly only give birth to several litters of pups in a
lifetime and these litters are relatively small, ranging from about seven to
eleven pups in a litter.
So due to the shark's
inability to reproduce quickly, stock replacement is not occurring and
subsequently the populations of the world are fast diminishing. In fact, they
are being wiped out far quicker than most people realise, with many species
critically endangered and some species literally on the brink of extinction.
The Great White Shark is
now protected in South Africa, California, South Australia and Tasmania, and
although this is only one of almost 400 species of shark, its protection is a
step in the right direction.
The Great White is a key
stone species on this planet and its protection, subsequent media attention and
high public profile allows us to use it as a battering ram to push for the
protection of other shark species.
Have been
in the cage twice so far. As amazing as it is to see them from the boat, it's
awesome to view them in the water, in their own domain. First time I went in the
cage, a shark took the bait and came thrashing up against the cage. Its pectoral
fin actually came inside the cage. I could have shaken hands with him! Andrew
Burge, 2005
YOUR
ACCOMMODATION
You will stay in
a house in Kleinbaai. It is very comfortable, quiet and has some lovely
views.
The house has a dorm room and two double rooms, one bathroom, a
nice kitchen, a lounge area and an outside patio for those hot evenings.
With a comfortable seating area, television and video for entertainment, you
will be very relaxed in your new home and shark briefings will take place
here from time to time too.
You will be taken into Gansbaai for shopping and anything else you may
need.
To read about the extensiveSupport & Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here.
TRAVEL:
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
Where possible, all flights we
arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers
choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination country.
Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa
and the level of your air ticket, of course. If you choose to book your own
flights, you should endeavour to get a changeable ticket. We meet you at the
airport regardless of whether you make your own travel arrangements or not.
You will usually fly into
Cape Town,where you will be
welcomed by a Travellers representative. He will
welcome you, introduce you to everyone and see that you're
settled in. From there you'll be taken
to Gaansbaai, where the project takes place.
VISAS:. In countries where visas or
immigration documents are required, we'll send you all the necessary forms and
information and make the process very easy for you.
We can also arrange your flight
dates to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling
around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and wondrous country!
PRICES
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in South Africa, please
click here
Prices
include
Food & accommodation while on your project,
unless otherwise stated,
2 T-shirts, if required
for your project
All support and backup
during your programme
Meeting you at the
nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.
.
+44 01903 502595
