South africa off to the game presurve

I was really sad that all of the diving was over. Gerri and I had rented a car the day before diving and was suppose to be out of our room at breakerview. The owners where really nice and said that we could still use the room to shower and get all the salt off of us. At that point we didn't know where we where staying so we where just going to wing it. We talked to one of the guys that we where diving with named Allen and he had invited us to stay with him with his girl friend. We had lots of drinks and had a good time. We where still really pumped from the baited dive.

We left early that morning for imfolusi/hluhluie national part and where going to stay in the tents there. On the drive there we parked after getting gas, when a van just packed full of kids pulled in beside us. Gerri was inside, but one of the little girls looked at the food in the back seat and almost started crying saying she was hungry. I passed over some buns and things to the kids and it was like a feeding frenzy for them to get some. The kids grabbed at the bags and shoved food in there mouths as fast as they could. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen, I thought of my girls and how lucky they are. One little town we stopped at was really creepy. The death glares where insane. It seemed like everyone was trying to stare us down, Gerri and I just portended not to notice. After we left there was a big sigh of relief, then we got lost trying to get out of the town. We turned the corner of this beautiful little street to monkeys all over the road and in the trees with little wee babies. On the way to the game park we got to one entrance and we told we had to go the other way around. Along the way the radio played loosing my religion by REM and we sang it on the top of our lungs as loud as we could laughing our asses off. Gerri and I kept looking around wholly shit we are in Africa, wow! It was the most amazing feeling ever. When we finally got the the right entrance, there was a big of trouble with rooms booked but we where in the tents. We got in and right away there was animals all over the place. We where of course Japanese tourists, stapping photos left right and center, he he. It got dark fast though and soon we saw hiena's crossing the road. We got the camp site and as we turned to go to the tent there was 2 hiena's crossing in front of us literally feet away from our tent. We laughed very nervously. When we got in the tent soon after, the crickets started going nuts, and I could hear snarls coming from outside...aka lions. Yes Gerri I herd lions starling. We later found out that the bugs do that as a warning sign when predators are around...more nervous laughter.

Baited Dive

We did a dive first thing in the morning to test the waters first. As soon as we got in the water all you could hear was wales and the clicking noises Dolphins made. This was the dive that Gerri almost lost her weight belt. Gerri and I stayed on top of one of the other caves holding on to conserve air (which made a massive difference). I saw a few sea slugs on the reef which was awesome. Gerri was fighting the current, turned and the belt started to come off. We where at under 30 Meters so that if she would have dropped her weight belt Gerri would have shot up to the surface with a ton of different problems all resulting in allot of pain and misery.


Everyone was so excited for the baited dive, weather was getting rougher by the minute but the visibility was still good. Mark set the bait and put the bait barrel into the water, which including fish heads and things, fish oils and other really not so pleasant smelling things. We waited about 20 minutes and Mark snorkeled down to see what kind of shark activity we had. He came up one happy man making the sign of the Tiger shark, exactly what I had come to see. When we first got into the water it was one giant gong show, with everyone everywhere. Shortly after we got into the water the Tiger shark disappeared. Mind you there was 12 bull sharks (Zambezi's) there instead....woooooow! a couple of times I had them swimming right around me and under my feet, it was amazing. Thankfully the Tiger came back and started checking us out. That was when the Tiger came quite close to me, Mark came swimming to try and scare the shark away if need. I wasn't interested in the bull sharks anymore just the Tiger Shark. Ever since I was really young all I wanted to do was swim with a Tiger shark and now was my moment. I stared into the Tigers eye as it swam by me, absolutely amazed. Adrenaline was pumping but not with any kind of fear, more amazement of this beautiful creature. Ya I know that at any moment this animal can take a good bite into me, but the reality is they aren't the blood thirsty creatures everyone makes them out to be. Unfortunately my air was done and I had to go back into the boat. I wanted to cry and scream at the same time. Wow, I just did what? When everyone got back on the boat Roland our skipper and the launch owner asked how it went....I just started hooting and hollering....I think that says it all!