[Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document.] CAGE DIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA

Shark cage diving has become a popular eco-tourist attraction in recent years, especially among foreign visitors to South Africa. All existing cage diving operations focus on the , which is widely distribute throughout the world temperate and sub tropical oceans. Large number of the can be seen in the area of seal colonies, which is an important prey animal of the Great White Shark. The cage diving industry is therefore based in Mossel bay, Gansbaai and along the southern cape coast. Here seal colonies are found on small rocky islands lying in sheltered, temperate waters suitable for boat-viewing and diving.

MEANS OF OPERATIONS

Most of the cage-diving operators will take small group of 3-10 people per cage diving trip. The operators usually use a galvanized metal cage for the cage diving, which is fastened to the boat and can generally accommodate 3 people at a time. Upon arrival at the designated site, the operators will start to attract the sharks (normally Great White’s) via chumming. Chumming or Chum is a bloody oily mixture of minced up fish then it is dumped in the ocean, usually 5- 10kg when its frozen, dumped over a course of 3-5 hours.

Process of attracting sharks

The patrolling shark will then detect the chum slick that is formed, and follow the scent path all the way to the boat, investigating whether it is a potential food source. Once the shark reaches the chumming site, it is lured closer to the boat with bait. The bait is attached to a rope that staff members throw out and slowly pull closer (aka ‘bait roping’), trying to get the shark close to the cage, while at the same time not allowing the shark to eat the bait. The shark may mouth or attack the bait after a while, providing an exciting spectacle for the people inside the cage.

Bait roping

SHARK CAGE DIVING LOCATIONS

At present, white shark cage diving operations are permitted at three locations in South Africa:  Seal Island, False Bay (3 operations),  Dyer Island, Gansbaai (8 operations)  Seal Island, Mossel Bay (1 operation).  Great whites are also attracted in these and sometimes other locations, for non- commercial scientific purposes (e.g. Struis Bay, Bird Island: Port Elizabeth, Grootbrak: Mossel Bay)

Shark attacks the bait

False Bay (Cape Town), Gansbaai and Mossel Bay are the main centers for cage diving in South Africa. The cages are securely attached to the boat and extend no more than two meters below the surface; therefore, no diving qualification is required. There are also great opportunities for surface viewing from boat and helicopter tours.

The cage diving in Gansbaai is focused around Dyer Island approximately 8km North-east of Danger Point where the troopship HMS Birkenhead wrecked on 26 February 1852, while transporting troops. Great white sharks are attracted to the islands seal colony and are often found cruising the nearby channel, known as Shark Alley. Gansbaai is regarded as the Cage Diving capital of South Africa with several excellent dive operators offering shark viewing charters.

The seal colony in Mossel Bay is another magnet for white sharks. The island is located inside the bay itself and is approximately a kilometer offshore. Here the Great White Shark also ambushes and attacks (by breaching) the seals leaving the island to feed. This provides great viewing opportunities. The island location inside the bay provides cover against strong winds, therefore creating excellent cage diving experiences.

In general, Cape Town, Mosselbaai and Gansbaai are best dived in the winter months from April to October when conditions are most favorable and sightings are more frequent.

Seal Island – Mossel Bay

BREACHING WHITE SHARKS

The area around Seal Island in False Bay near Cape Town is world famous for its breaching white sharks. The seals on the island are frequently ambushed from below with extreme that the sharks may be seen leaving the water entirely (aka breach) in a spectacular scene of amazing predatory behavior. Peak season for witnessing these natural predations is from June to August in False Bay.

CODE OF CONDUCT

The Great white is listed a ‘vulnerable’ on the 1996 IUCN world Conservation Union Red List of Threatened Species and is therefore a protected in South Africa. The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism therefore have to manage the cage-diving industry through regulations, permit conditions and a Code of Conduct. There are a maximum number of permits allowed in SA total and a max permits in each bay; permits also must be renewed every year to ensure permit standards are upheld

 The code of conduct prohibits the use of mammalian products as bait or chum, or any foodstuffs that are foreign to the shark’s diet.  Cage-diving operations are also limited to specific areas near seal colonies to minimize the impact of chumming.  In addition, the number of operators at the cage diving sites is restricted to protect the seals, penguins and other seabirds breeding on the islands.  Intentional feeding of sharks prohibited

The Code of Conduct also includesthose safety considerations such as:  A Certificate of sea-worthiness for the vessels,  A Cage safety certificate issued by an engineer,  And the need for a qualified skipper and on board when on a trip  Swimming outside the cage during or after chumming is prohibited.

CAGE DIVING RESEARCH

Since the cage diving industry began, people started various research projects to investigate the effects that the cage diving industry has on Great White sharks and its interactions with other marine species, and also humans. They can do this type of research because of sharks that are satellite- and sonic tracked. Here are just some of the specific aims on the research being done:

 To determine the nature of interactions between Great White’s, seals and penguins  To describe the behavior of seals when Great Whites are present and if cage-diving is influencing this behavior  To make scientific observations on the effect of cage-diving on Great Whites  To monitor the impacts and benefits of cage diving  To provide information on sharks movement patterns and residence times in a core area

DOES SHARK CAGE DIVING INDUCE SHARK ATTACKS ON HUMANS?

This is frequently debated point in recent times, when it comes to shark attacks in an area where there are active cage diving operations. In 1998, there were 13 shark attacks in South

African waters, while at the same time a worldwide increase in shark attacks was occurring.

Although, this resulted in speculations in the media that the increased of local shark attacks incidences is linked to the growth of the cage- diving industry and that the possible association of humans with food (as known as conditioning) has in cases, led to increased aggression towards humans by conditioned animals, but in actual fact there is no scientific evidence exists at present to support this claim.

According to scientific research done on South Africa’s White Shark cage-diving industry, researchers found that conditioning can only arise if white sharks gain significant and predictable food rewards. Thus, conditioning will only arise if shark cage diving operators intentionally and wilfully contravene permit regulations prohibiting intentional feeding of sharks. They even found that on rare occasions there were indications of positive conditioning that have been observed on 4 sharks in the Mossel Bay area. This leads to evidence that if compiling to permit regulations and infrequent or no feeding of sharks, may in fact temporarily cause the sharks to ignore the chumming boat.

Another important key finding was that it would be highly improbable for the ‘conditioning’ of sharks to a cage diving vessel would increase danger to human water users such as swimmers, surfers, scuba divers and kayakers. According to the research publication, is it due to the fact of the visual and olfactory dissimilarity of these humans to the conditioned neutral stimulus (i.e. the cage diving vessel and associated structures). So this means, even if the shark would be conditioned to the chumming vessel, for the shark to associate a chumming boat with a human for example, is highly unlikely.

ECONOMICAL IMPORTANCE OF SHARK CAGE DIVING

Shark cage diving plays a really big role when it comes to the local economy and tourism of

South Africa. For example, it is believed that poachers can sell the jaw of a shark for over

R250 000.However, that is far less than the value of a shark as an eco-tourist attraction.

Whereas the Gansbaai shark cage- diving industry can generate anywhere up to R85.4 million in revenue annually with the live shark’s in the area, making sharks way more valuable alive than dead. This all contributes to a growing tourism industry here in South Africa, plus these operations create local jobs as well. In the South African tourism industry, it’s estimated that for every 8 tourists that come to South Africa, one job is created, and that tourism in total accounted for

$14 Billion in revenue in 2006, making the tourism industry, one of the largest and the fastest growing industries in South Africa.

LAST WORD

Cage diving is a major eco-tourism attraction for South Africa and the shark diving industry plays not only a vital role in the local economy, but also shark conservation and public education. With operators adhering to strict guidelines, it is believed that responsible diving with great white sharks will help to dismiss misconceptions and encourage a better understanding of these most magnificent predators.

SHARK CAGE DIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA, COMPREHENSION TEST

1) Name the 3 locations along the southern cape coast of South Africa, where there is shark cage-diving

2) How many shark cage diving operations are there at Dyer Island, Gansbaai area?

3) Describe chumming and the reason it’s been used at shark cage-diving?

4) What is the phenomenon called when Great White shark jumps out of the water after prey?

5) True or False: There is scientific evidence that supports the connection between increasing shark attacks on humans and shark cage-diving.

6) Fill in the blanks: The code of conduct prohibits the use of ______products as bait or chum, or any foodstuffs that are foreign to the shark’s diet.

7) Give at least two safety considerations that’s included in the Code of Conduct?

8) Give one aim of research being done to investigate shark cage-diving

9) How much potential revenue can the cage-diving at Gansbaai generate annually?

10) True or False: sharks are more valuable dead than alive