Ever since I was a little kid I was in love with the shark. While I had an affinity for all species, I was absolutely fascinated by the Great White Shark.
I grew up and sadly waved goodbye to my childhood dreams of becoming a marine biologist for the sake of a Finance degree.
This year, my last year of college, I decided what the hell – I bought a ticket to San Francisco Bay, booked a car and a hotel, dragged along a friend for a weekend trip… and spent 13 hours out at sea (for the first time in my life, mind you) in the cold Northern Pacific Ocean.
The wetsuit was a first for me. Breathing through an air hose was a first for me. Being on a boat in the ocean was a first for me.
I threw up 11 times on the trip to the island (in mild sea conditions nonetheless) but all was well when suddenly an estimated 16 foot female Great White Shark lunged completely out of the water at the decoy behind the boat – in the blink of an eye, all the bitterness sea sickness can bring vanished thanks to a hungry shark not too shy to make its presence known well above the surface.
The cage-diving part was less spectacular than the topside activity in my scenario – simply because the water was cold and dark (eerie, when you know the sharks are there… and the shadows are fast and elusive). This is why I still long for the Guadalupe dive trip where the underwater viewing is unparalelled.
However – in my contemplative time underwater I did have the fortune (apparent misfortune at the time, as I lost my regulator and had to surface for air at the shock and excitement of it) of having my corner of the cage slapped by the tail of a Great White lunging near the surface for a go at the decoy. That alone made the price of the trip well worth the experience.
Ohhh but the poor seals – we saw one take a bloody beating, but the sharks must eat. We saw one get away too – which in a typical innate sympathetic fashion humans seem to have for other mammals – all of us found ourselves rooting for the seal.
To sum: The Farallon Islands were breathtaking – the manner with which the fog surrounds and engulfs the barren rock is something straight out of a movie – conveying nothing less than awe at Nature’s ability to stun us viscerally with a naturally breathtaking landscape hilighted by delightfully eerie weather and the ever-present knowledge that you’re among some of the largest, most elusive and intelligent predators this planet has to offer. An incredibly exciting feeling nobody should miss out on.
The diving was less exciting than the topside activity – but that is only due to temperature and visibility – it is not an ideal location for underwater viewing or photography – seek out a Guadalupe trip for the ultimate in underwater photography – I plan to do this before 2008.
Any questions – feel free to email me, I’ll be glad to answer.
