Nekton

I had decided that if I did not see a Great White this time, the shark had won and this would be one of the ocean's wonders that I would never experience.

The departure date was getting closer and the weather conditions were getting worse! Was this to be another unlucky attempt? It was my fourth attempt to experience The Great White Shark: South Australia twice, South Africa once, and still no sightings of sharks.

We finally left Sydney and on arrival into Adelaide things were looking bleak - rain, winds, huge seas and flight delays. Well, there was always the winery if things didn't improve!

Two hours later, on arrival in Port Lincoln, South Australia, there was no

rain, the seas looked not too bad, there were no obvious gale force winds and the skies had big blue patches. (I was always told by my father "If there was enough blue in the sky to make a pair of sailors trousers" it was a good sign - he was a sailor and I have always believed him). Things were looking up.

Things got better, and better…..
We were diving with Calypso Star Charters. This was my first trip with Captain Rolf, who had come highly recommended with nothing but praise for himself and his operation. I had this image that Rolf would be a large, fishy smelling, rough and ready man - it is funny how your mind works. Boy was I wrong. Was this very neat man in a suit with a big smile on his face, waiting with a Calypso Star Charter sign, really Rolf? Was this stretch limo he was standing next to really our transport? Yes and yes again - things are looking really good.

The stretch limo was for us; it is the "bus" Rolf uses for transfers to and from the airport, how good can this get?

The first night was in Port Lincoln, in a very comfortable town house. The Calypso Star was moored on a jetty at the bottom of the garden. First thing I noticed was the wall of fame - photos of the "famous" that had dived with Rolf, surely Greg Norman - the other Great White Shark can't be wrong?

After experiencing Port Lincoln's seafood followed by a good nights sleep it was an early morning start. With adrenaline running on high, we boarded our home for the next few days or so and set off out to sea.

Rolf has taken delivery of this magnificent new charter vessel, Calypso Star, continuing the tradition set by his original boat of the same name. With a length of 56 ft, she is a very comfortable vessel, with good cabins (sleeps eight), heads (bathrooms to land lovers), lounge/dining and plenty of deck space for gearing up - all this and not a whiff of burly. Rolf and Andrew (his permanent deckie) keep the boat spotless.

The seas were moderate and our first stop - Dangerous Reef - was about an hours cruising.

On arrival at Dangerous Reef, we dropped anchor, the tuna oil bags were set and the burly process began. A much more civilized burly method to past trips, the crew do it all - I did not have to wear the "burly coat" and do my four hour burly watch! The shark cage was made ready and all we needed now were the Great Whites.

Rolf has two cages aboard allowing up to four divers to be in the water at any one time. This is so much better than a roster system - at least you have a good chance of seeing a shark if they are not there for long. Lucky for us, the seas were reasonably kind as we were on the sheltered side of Dangerous Reef.

About two hours later, while we were having lunch, a loud cry came from Andrew, "who is in first?" A shark had arrived. I nearly cried - after all these years of trying - finally a Great White. Who was going to be first? My traveling companions were four male gentlemen friends, two having a lready experienced Great Whites, and seeing as this was my 50th birthday gift from my beloved Colin, (who had upped my life insurance and decided not to travel on this trip!) I was one of the lucky one's to be first in the cage.

We got the briefing of the do's and don'ts in a shark cage plus, most importantly, the hookah set-up and the entry and exit procedures. Quick check out of the shark - WOW it is enormous!

Otto Reef: In the current were schools of barracuda, trevally, rainbow runners, fusiliers, various types of surgeonfish, unicorn, triggerfish and white tip sharks.

Jackie's Knob: This site was a smaller version of Otto Reef as regards the fish life. I had a bit of fun playing with a cuttlefish, checking out clingfish in the feather stars and trying my best to photograph a white nudibranch with black spots.

First breath on the hookah system - tuna oil! In all the excitement I forgot the "breath out to clear regulator rule". Regulator cleared, feet under the bar on the floor of the cage, hands inside. Within seconds, out of the distance she came, all five meters of Great White Shark! (I can't repeat what I said …!)

Finally, after all this time, I was experiencing a Great White Shark. Not only experiencing one, but looking right into the creature's mouth! It is one of the most amazing animals you could ever wish to see. It is so graceful yet so powerful it captures your soul, the black eye piercing and showing no emotion.

I was so taken with these animals that I forgot to even take pictures for the first ten minutes. You just cannot take your eyes off them. As they cruise by you think - wow - they are huge, but when they go under the cage and you see they are almost as wide as the cage you're standing in, the enormity becomes apparent.

The first experience of the jaw opening around the corner of the cage was awesome. You can see right down the throat and the mouth is open wide enough to fit a small person in. I could hardly believe wha t I could see, it is so hard to take your eyes of the deep, black hole that is their eye, and it just draws you in.

An hour went by and it felt like 10 minutes. Had I really been in the cage for that long. Time to get out, a simple task, climb the steps at the side of the cage, the lid is lifted and you crawl onto the transom deck where Andrew and Rolf are waiting to help. YES, I had finally done it - seen a Great White Shark and yes it was worth the wait.

Over the next few days we saw ten sharks in total. There was never a time when we did not have at least one shark around the boat. We dived three times a day, each dive very different as each shark has its own behavior pattern. We got to know them all by name and tagged five new sharks. Rolf's favorite is Allana, she is one of the larger sharks and her tag has growth hanging off it making her easy to recognize.

Of course mine is "Jayne", one of the newly tagged sharks, and Rolf has since told me she has been around on most trips.

We were given the option to move to the Neptune Islands, a group of islands about a two and a half-hour boat ride away and another area Rolf uses, but decided as we had the sharks around us here - why move?

Having experienced many live-aboard vessels and dive operations world wide, I cannot find fault with Rolf and Andrew. The boat was spotless throughout the entire trip; meals were great, and to top it off - they make a mean cappuccino any time you require one.

I think the most impressive thing apart from the Great White Sharks was the love and pride Rolf has for his operation, he genuinely cares for your needs and well-being and does it all with a smile.

If you want a longer trip - combine it with some seal
diving - I recommend you do this on the outward trip.
I, for one, was not so keen to jump in with the seals
after diving with the Great Whites!
You could also try wreck diving in Adelaide or go to
Kangaroo Island and see the Leafy Sea Dragons.

I'l l certainly be going back and if you are looking at
diving with the Great Whites give Rolf a call.

Port Lincoln
South Australia

Port Lincoln in South Australia is located on the Spencer Gulf which empties into the Southern Ocean, the worlds last true marine wilderness. It is home to the most spectacular and rarest of the worlds sea creatures such as the blue whale, giant squid and Australian sea lions. More importantly, It is the home of 'Carcharodon Carcharias' the much feared and respected white pointer shark.