Shark diving

Though shark diving happens outside of Cape Town (around two hours' drive away), it’s a popular bet for many a city visitor. Me? I’m happy to look at the pictures but those I know who have done it say there is nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of a Great White shark swimming towards you while on a quest for lunch or supper in the form of a seal.

The epicentre of the shark diving community is a little village outside Gansbaai called Kleinbaai. Most of the setups have offices in Gansbaai where tickets aboard shark diving vessels are booked. Currently there are six operations accredited by the tourism bureau and by all accounts I would suggest you stick to these operators (two that come recommended are White Shark Encounters www.white-shark-diving.com and Shark Lady (028 313 2306; www.sharklady.co.za).

Expect to don a wetsuit, slip into a watery cage and wait to meet a monster from the deep while protected from him and his friends by the metal bars of your cage. Your reward? I’d say the piled up high plate of calamari and chips and an ice cold beer, coupled with conversations about the size of ‘the one that got away’ from The Great White House (5 Geelbek St, Kleinbaai; 028 384 3273; www.thegreatwhitehouse.co.za) in Kleinbaai is a must to bring you back down to earth.