We're gonna need a bigger boat. . .

Burrrr!!! What an amazing, but totally freezing day. Ryan woke up feeling better today so we headed out to Shark Alley with our swimsuits packed and butterflies in our stomachs. The driver picked up 8 other brave folks and we started on our way for the 2 hour drive. We had a bit of orientation once we arrived, but quickly made our way to the boat. Luckily, the weather was beautiful which made me think that I wouldn’t freeze to death. Once again- I was wrong.
Once out on the water the boat driver along with his fellow shark lovers, started throwing fish heads in the water to lure the sharks toward our boat. Very quickly, we had a GREAT WHITE SHARK circling the boat! This thing was massive- maybe 3.5 meters long! It’s size was scary enough, but it’s jaw and teeth were equally terrifying. It quickly found one of the ropes anchoring the boat and proceeded to chew on it until it was split into two. Ryan got some good footage of the shark in action- it should be pretty amazing for everyone to see.

Soon people started to take their turn in the shark cage. We got ourselves dressed in the 7 mm thick wet suits (which are hard as hell to put on to my surprise and extreme frustration). We were the third group to take the dive. The cage was placed right next to the boat and closed when we were in the water. I didn’t feel a bit nervous about the sharks while in there- nor did Ryan. It wasn’t the sharks that became the challenge- it was the water. 12 degrees Celsius! The cold was like living my worst nightmare. And of course. . . they gave us the longest dive of all the groups! My entire body quickly went numb and using my fingers was no longer an option. Ryan was equally cold, but so excited about the sharks that I think he hardly noticed initially. I didn’t want to be a stick in the mud, so I still dunked under the water when the sharks would come near. Despite how cold it was, seeing the sharks that close was definitely extraordinary.

Once out of the water we shivered as we looked for our clothes. I was having a lot of trouble warming up and started to really freak out when one of my fingers wouldn’t pink up. It basically stayed numb and white until we were able to run it under hot water. Ryan came to the rescue of course! I think my medical knowledge might have made me freak out more than I should have. Ryan, me, and my finger are all doing fine now.

We were lucky enough to meet some fellow Americans also on the dive. Both of them were college students in the states studying to be teachers. They were doing a semester of their student teaching in Botswana! I am sure it is an incredible experience for them. Unfortunately, where they are staying there is no hot water. I don’t think I would survive that! They also have less access to foods and are stuck eating dormitory cafeteria food consisting of fatty meats and pappas. They were really enjoying the food on this trip!!

Had dinner at a little Italian place by the hotel. Amazing pizza with lots of interesting combinations. It was perfect too because we were both absolutely exhausted from our day.

We are headed to Zimbabwe tomorrow for the final leg of our trip! Looking forward to a bit of warmer weather there, and maybe a few more safari adventures!

Love to everyone!