EYE to EYE WITH THE GREAT WHITE SHARKS

The most spine-chilling creature underwater,

Barbaric, enormous, artful.

Ever wondered, what would it be like?

If you come across one such brute,

It’s eyes staring right into your eyes,

It’s skin etched, lacerated and scarred;

And the teeth, ugly and sharp.

What if there’s more? More than one?

I am underwater and I can’t swim…

And that scared the devil out of me

No one will even see my tears if I cry.

But will they hear me scream?

I have a mask on

To allow me to see them clearly.

The bait has already been laid,

The water has been chummed;

It was a mix of sardines and minced tuna.

They can be here any moment now,

There’s a chill in the water here,

The kind that breaks the silence around.

And there I see…

It’s coming closer…

It’s a Great White Shark

And it’s approaching near.

I can’t take my eyes off it, as if I’m frozen.

Two feet, that’s how far away we are,

When it turns and goes around the boat.

The bars of the cage are my safe haven,

I am The Caged Explorer…

I pulled my face up, to take a deep breath,

And then went back down

and there it was…

It circled round and round,

Jumped vigorously and Pounced,

And then victoriously trounced.

I here flaunted,

My valour undaunted;

Triumph…is it?

Like conquering hills;

Oh what a fool I am to think,

That I can imprison the wild in a thin…

For wild it is and wild, it shall stay;

Humans may often come around and sway.

Shark-cage Diving in Mossel bay, South Africa was a thrilling, once in a lifetime experience. They make you feel more alive. Moments like these makes you realise your true strength, that how far you’re willing to take it; the amount of risk you take is directly proportional to the chances of failure you may have. But it’s up to you how to take it. Walking over those failures, building a staircase and reaching the goal is the absolute goal.

Watch a video of me shark-cage diving below: