News
Isla Guadalupe - Mexico
05/09/08
Extract from diary, Guadalupe day 1 (thanks Ken!) : Woke at 05:00, could hear the crew putting the cages in the water & feel the boat rocking with the shifting weight. Al got up at 05:30 to twiddle with camera gear. I left it until 6 to put the battery in mine & put it in the housing. Getting a bit nervous, expecting Al to want to be first in the cages at 06:30.
Both expected it would be a bit like fishing ie nothing for the first hour at least, so emerged from our room about 07:00 to see what was going on. The group of 4 Mexican teenagers were 1st in. I hadn't even got my swimming costume on yet, trying to put off the inevitable?
Had some toast & coffee & Al said he was going in. I said I'd take some photos of him going in, then follow....
I left it another hour, talking to the people coming out of the cages, getting the first reports of shark action, then couldn't put it off any longer - I got in!!!!! New wet suit nice & warm, but far too dry & buoyant, needed extra weight & ankle weights to stay down (no tank etc) took a while to get wedged in to a corner in the cage & stop floating!
Waited a good 20mins watching the mackerel attacking the frozen tuna bait, then the shark came in. Just like the movies!! Big, Powerful, Slow, Menacing. Circling at a distance. Close enough for first view though! Extremely aware of ensuring all fingers & toes were inside the cage!!
Another 20 mins or more of nothing, then v close circling & direct approaches to cages. Superb photos. I think same shark, but now seemed much bigger, extremely close, very clear. The gaps in the cages seemed too big!!!
Very happy with first great white. Came up, had tea & banana cake & sat on the sun deck for 30 mins, toasting. What a perfect day & it's still only 11:00 !!