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Slipping into the Water Quietly — So the Sharks Don't Think You're Food or Competition
Leaving from Simon's Town, passing by the Cape of Good Hope, we reached the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans roughly two hours later to find our sharks. The boat crew would deploy bait in the middle of the ocean to attract them. Divers were required to maintain neutral buoyancy at 5 meters and had to wear gloves — sharks are particularly drawn to reflective and fast-moving objects. If your whole body is covered in a black wetsuit but your bare hands flash white, they may well mistake them for a snack. As for the entry, you quietly slide into the water at the edge of the ladder with all your gear on. From a shark's perspective, it has come to feed on the bait, and suddenly something leaps in from above — it will either think you're stealing its meal or that you are the meal.
Leaving from Simon's Town, passing by Cape of Good Hope, the shark's dive took place where The Pacific and The Indian ocean came together. Bait to be set in the middle of the ocean dives needed to maintain themselves at 5 meters deep with gloves on. The sharks were peculiarly attractive by reflection and fast-moving things. The uncovered hands looked like lunch for them. The entry would gently slide into the water with the gear you definitely wouldn't want to jump into a group of sharks when they are having lunch.
Up close and surrounded by sharks
You Have to Stomach the Seasickness to See Sharks
The bait is made from frozen minced fish mixed with water. The moment it hits the sea, every seabird in the area mobilises and swoops in for lunch — some even dive down to 5 meters to scoop up the scraps. I forgot to take my seasickness pill, and the moment the crew brought out the fish miso soup — practically a guaranteed vomit trigger — I was on my knees throwing up on the deck.
The recipe for bait is frozen fish with water. Seabirds were the first customers for the lunch. They can even dive into 5 meters deep for food. I forget to take a pill. The smell of bait was horrible that I couldn't help myself.
Blue sharks are absolutely adorable — big eyes, looking like something out of a LEGO set, a bunch of curious little creatures that just keep coming over to check you out. The moment I got in the water, I was graced by a shark zooming right past my mask. One of them even went over to bite the dive guide's GoPro to see if it was edible.
The blue sharks were so adorable with big eyes wandering around us. A shark swam by my face just when I got into water — they tried to bite the GoPro to see if it was food or not.
Following the sharks as they circle down to 10 meters
Surrounded by Blue Sharks
All the divers formed a ring around the yellow bait bucket, while the blue sharks circled us continuously from the outside. I was so excited that I kept following them downward, spiralling all the way to 10 meters. My head was spinning, but I was too thrilled to care — I kept forgetting whether the GoPro was recording or not. Staying at 5 meters? Breathing steadily? Completely out the window. I honestly can't remember how that hour went by.
Divers circled around the bait with blue sharks circled us from the outside. I was too excited and forgot the rules, kept on circling with them to 10 meters. I also forgot to turn on or turn off my GoPro. Just couldn't really describe my happiness in that hour.
Blue sharks are remarkably graceful — there were no scenes of jaws snapping or frenzied feeding. At most, they'd nudge the bait bucket or have a little play with the divers, and they looked incredibly intelligent throughout. Seen from the surface, a blue shark's colouring is strikingly beautiful. On this particular day, only 4 or 5 sharks showed up, but they kept swimming past my mask, my fins, and right alongside me. Apparently during peak season you can have 20 to 30 of them swarming around you — I think I'd pass out from sheer joy.
The Blue shark was really elegant. They gently shake the bait or played with us. They did look smart and the skin was shining under the sun. Laterally describe their name, blue — only got to see 4 or 5 of them. It was said that during the right season, it could be like 20–30 of them. I'll be over the moon if I did have a chance to see.
Dive Details
費用: R3500，含潛店至港口接送，一支氣瓶，裝備，導潛，午餐
Cost: R3500, including pickup from the dive shop to the port, 1 dive, equipment, dive guide and lunch
Further Reading:
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a BlueTrend dive trip different from an unknown, no-name dive group?
Choosing us means full peace-of-mind protection and a smooth experience from start to finish. Every trip we run holds to three things.
First, full legal protection and a professional dive leader: we strictly follow Taiwan's travel regulations and provide complete travel-agency liability insurance, travel insurance, trip-inconvenience insurance and dive insurance. Every group is accompanied by a certified, foreign-language dive leader who joins you on both the dives and the land itinerary, liaising seamlessly with local dive shops and operators on your behalf to keep things running smoothly — the person our travellers trust most.
Second, fully licensed with secure payments: every payment goes into a licensed travel agency's account, with multiple safe payment channels (bank transfer, credit card and more) and a legal collect-and-remit receipt, so every transaction is open, transparent and protected, avoiding the fraud and dispute risks of transferring money privately to an individual.
Third, hand-picked quality we vet in person: every trip, dive site and partner shop is scouted on the ground by our own team, from the guides' professionalism and safety standards to the food, lodging, environment and service details on land, all vetted by us so you don't get caught out.
I want to sign up for a dive trip. Are there certification-level or logged-dive requirements?
Each dive site is different, so the entry bar varies. 'Bali Tulamben', for instance, is relatively beginner-friendly. 'Malapascua in the Philippines' is also beginner-friendly, but since thresher sharks tend to cruise between 20 and 30 metres, we recommend AOW certification with 20+ logged dives to enjoy this trip comfortably. For 'the Maldives' or 'Palau', we suggest AOW with 50+ logged dives for a more relaxed experience. If you're not sure whether your experience fits the trip you want, message us and our dive editors will assess it and help you find the trip you'll feel safest on.
Can I join if I'm signing up alone? How are rooms arranged?
Plenty of our travellers sign up solo! For rooms and beds, we prioritise pairing you with a same-gender traveller, and if you'd rather have your own space you can pay the difference to upgrade to a single room. For the diving, our professional leader will pair you with a suitable buddy, and with the happy vibe on our trips you'll quickly make a great group of dive friends. Many people sign up alone, make new friends, and end up organising the next trip together!
Does the trip fee include dive insurance, gear rental, taxes and instructor tips?
It depends on the trip, the destination's regulations and the local operators. Every BlueTrend dive trip has a detailed web page with a clear 'included / not included' list, transparent and with no hidden charges. All payments are collected by a licensed travel agency, with a standard-form contract for your protection.
I'm a new diver / haven't dived in a long time — will I fall behind the group?
Before you complete your booking, our team assesses a suitable trip based on your certification level and experience. Before departure, we strongly recommend taking time to refresh in Taiwan with an instructor, or a fun dive to get your feel back. On the trip itself, our professional dive leader groups and pairs everyone by experience, keeps a close eye underwater on travellers who need extra care, and steps in to help right away.
Will the photos and videos taken during the trip be shared with us?
During the dives, 'safety' is always the leader's top priority, so whenever it's suitable and safe the leader will capture great shots and record the best moments. During or after the trip, we compile a cloud album for all travellers to download, so you go home loaded with memories!
Besides your scheduled trips, can you arrange a private group charter or independent travel for me and my friends?
Absolutely! Besides group trips, we also arrange private group charters and independent travel. We can communicate, enquire and coordinate services with local operators based on your needs, saving you time and effort and taking the language barrier off your plate, to tailor the smoothest, most reassuring dive trip just for you. Contact our LINE support and our editors will arrange it for you!
