Diving with Great White Sharks in Gansbaai, South Africa!

2:31 AM Jmo 0 Comments

“Sharks have everything a scientist dreams of. They're beautiful―God, how beautiful they are! They're like an impossibly perfect piece of machinery. They're as graceful as any bird. 

They're as mysterious as any animal on earth...” 

― Peter Benchley, Jaws

For as long as I can remember I've had the upmost fascination and love for sharks. When I was younger, I was borderline obsessed. I used to draw sharks all over my school folders, my room was covered top to bottom in shark posters, stuffed animals, even a bedspread (!!!), and in my soccer days my nickname came to be "Shark". 

Trust me, I have the embroidered jacket to prove it... 

My friends and family took note (and perhaps a bit of concern, haha), and fostered this appreciation with books and TV specials. (My shark trivia is still pretty up to snuff.) So it's no surprise that I grew up with a longing to see these stunning animals in person. But, like many childhood dreams and aspirations, I thought it would never happen.

But, like any adventure in life, if you don't seek it out, chase it, and take a chance a dream will always be just that: a dream.

A beauty from our boat! Gansbaai, South Africa. 2016.

Shark cage diving comes with stigma. Many companies out there that offer shark cage dives are purely tourism-based and have little concern for the environment, the sharks, or the people who may be affected by disturbing the sharks behavior. We know very little about sharks, and to disturb their habitat by chumming not only affects the shark's behavior but it also affects swimmers and the surfing community by driving them closer to shore and seeking out an easy meal of chum (fish parts and by-catch).
So, I had quite the ethical dilemma. Should I curb my ethical principles for a selfish look?

No. There had to be another way.

So, I set out on a research bonanza trying to weigh the pros and cons and find a company that held up to my ethical standards. That is why I was beyond head over heals in love with the practices and ethic-standards of Marine Dynamics.

Marine Dynamics does host tourists and provides them with a shark diving experience, but that is not all they do. The team over at Marine Dynamics is greatly composed of researchers and environmental volunteers. The researchers use tagging methods to track the sharks in the area to better understand and support their ecosystem and behaviors.  The acoustic tagging and tracking methods used, in cooperation with boat based observational data, help build a better understanding of great white shark behavior with crucial scientific data being gathered and published. This study also helps in the understanding of the shark's predatory interactions and behaviors, aiming to not only make the ocean safer for sharks but also for us land-dwelling humans. This research is made readily available to the "tourists" on board and at home via their website and through the Dyer Island Trust. At Marine Dynamics, education comes first and the "thrill" comes second.

Big, Beautiful. Curious. Powerful. (Perhaps a Great White Shark is my spirit animal?!)

Our day started out EARLY. My parents and I had an unexpected change of plans when it came to our accommodation near Gansbaai, so we ended up having to leave from Cape Town at around... 3:00am in order to make the briefing. But. I was awake and ready by 10:00pm! HA! No time to sleep when dreams are coming true!
Prior to heading out onto the boat and into the chilly seas of Southern Africa, we were treated to an excellent breakfast (though, I recommend NOT eating beforehand if you are prone to seasickness!) and a short rundown of what to expect on the boat as well as an educational brief about the area and the animals themselves.

Once we got on the boat the adrenaline hit. The boat took off into the open ocean; waves and sea spray battered the boat in a rhythm that was on pace with the excitable beat of my heart. This was happening. This was actually happening.

The boat stopped. We squeezed into our wetsuits. We were the first group to jump into the cage! Eeeek!

My Dad managed to get one good photo while inside the cage! YES!

It wasn't long until we saw our first shark.

Our visibility was estimated at about 1 meter so to watch her emerge from the deep, cyan coloured water was an experience that I will take with me forever. She was stunning, and powerful! With one push of her tail she was gone in an instant. But then another one appeared...and another...and another! I'm not sure how long we were down being tossed around by the waves in the cage, but we had constant activity. Constant, CLOSE, stunning activity.

My face after being inside the cage. Happy tears!

Like I mentioned prior, Marine Dynamics puts conservation first. If it is harmful to the animal or the people involved, they do not do it. That rule applies to chumming. Many other shark-diving excursions I've seen pour buckets of blood, fish parts, and by-catch into the surrounding waters to attract sharks. This not only causes the sharks to act unpredictable but it also reinforces the notion that when the sharks see a foreigner-human, there will be blood [food].

In contrast to this practice Marine Dynamics uses a seal dummy (a wooden plank which from below the surface looks like a lone seal), fish oils, and fish heads on a line which are pulled away so the sharks are not "fed". Just another reason in the long list of reasons to choose Marine Dynamics if you happen to find yourself seeking out a shark-cage dive.

A HUGE, curious stingray came up to say, "HI!" as well. She was close to the size of my kitchen table!

'om nom nomm' -a biggin' munching on the seal dummy

Sadly, an astronomical 100 million (increasing over the years from 70 million) sharks are killed each year by humans to meet the demand of the shark fin soup industry and in order to supply faux cancer "cures" (FYI, sharks get cancer. See HERE). This number spans almost every species of shark, including those we know little about.
Shark finning is a barbaric process. Sharks are caught, drug up onto boats, and their fins (dorsal, pectoral, and caudal) are cut off. Still alive, the sharks are then tossed back into the ocean where they either drown or are eaten alive by other fish.

These animals are incredible. Beautiful. And yes, due to overly-hyped gore in popular culture they get a bad wrap. And due to this overly bad wrap, they are now facing extinction.
Shark cage diving has also gotten a bad wrap in recent years. And in recent weeks (I'm sure you've all seen this viral video by now: HERE). But videos such as this are not common and they are a result of poor management and practices. Sharks are wild, unpredictable animals and need to be treated as such.

If you plan on viewing these beauties in the wild, please seek out a research team that has its roots in study and conservation. Not just some guy with a boat. Please, DO YOUR RESEARCH. Choose a team that is the best fit ethically and environmentally. You and your experience will be better for it!

This was an incredible opportunity. I'm not sure where this ranks on my Bucket List, but I'm guessing somewhere around the Top 5. I'm also planning on investigating volunteering myself after I complete graduate school. I'm sure that experience will rank in the Top 2.

Brrrrrr! left to right: Chris, Me, my Mom, and my Dad

Interested in Marine Dynamics shark-cage diving? Click HERE Interested in shark conservation and how you can help? Step one: Educate. 

Here are a list of resources to help you get started:

• - The Dyer Island Conservation Trust: http://www.dict.org.za/
  
• - Stop Shark Finning: http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/
  
• - Louis Psihoyos' (Academy Award winning director of The Cove) latest project: http://racingextinction.com/

Explore on! 

Teach English From Home or Abroad with VIPKID!

11:23 AM Jmo 0 Comments

Hello readers! I want to share an opportunity with you that allows you to make income while traveling. This December is my one year anniversary teaching with VIPKID and I couldn't be more grateful for such a fun and flexible company. VIPKID is an online teaching program that allows you teach K-12 English skills to Chinese students via online platform. It's fun, flexible, and pays in USD regardless of your country location.
VIPKID requires that you have North American passport (United States or Canada), a stable internet connection, and outgoing personality. Teaching experience is also a big plus!

VIPKID English, 2016

VIPKID is based out of Beijing and class hour range from 8AM-10PM Beijing time. You can work anywhere from 7 hours per week (the bare minimum) to full time teaching. You are paid per class and each class is approximately 25 minutes long. All the classroom materials are prepared for you. Just follow along with the ppt. and add your own teaching finesse through the use of props and other fun accessories. Each class is one-on-one and once you have been teaching a few weeks you start to have regulars which makes the experience all the more rewarding. I've been seeing some students once or twice a week for an entire year already! VIPKID has allowed me to teach, travel, and attend graduate school for nearly a year now. Every day is a new experience and what's best is I get to meet, interact, and share cultural identity with these incredible children halfway around the world. It's THE BEST. Interested to know more details and criteria? Click this link (link) and be sure to mention my name when registering!

Any questions about teaching abroad in general? Send me a message and I'd love to chat! Explore on! -Jmo

Purely Pretoria Craft Beer Festival, 2016

10:29 AM Jmo 0 Comments

Hanging with the guys of Friar's Habit Craft Brewery: Louis Van Der Merwe, Christopher Klapwijk, and Jaco Cilliers.

 I've been fortunate enough to have a front row seat to the exciting rise of the craft beer scene here in South Africa. My boyfriend is one of the owners and brewers of the local, Pretoria brewery Friar's Habit Craft Brewery. And. I'm lucky enough to have been donned "Official Taste Tester". It's a difficult job, but someone has to do it...

The craft beer scene here is young and exciting. I've tasted many South African interpretations of American beers and South African contemporary-classics all their own and I must say that this Michigan girl is converted. Of course I'll still hold true to my Michigan beers roots, but there's something special happening here in South Africa.

 But, I've also seen first hand the time and dedication it takes to bring a passion for beer to the masses. These brewers work hard. Many 3am weekday nights, loss of beer due to load-shedding (loss of power due to government regulation) and other circumstances,  attempting to juggle the "day job" and family with the brewery life, and a long-list of learning curves go in to each beer. But the hard work is absolutely worth it. I can't say I've ever seen this many people before so excited to talk about their "job".

Stimela Brewing Co. chatting to Friar's Habit and company.

Here's Chris! (Dig my SA shades?!)

Friar's Habit was serving up their California Common, Nitro Irish Red Ale, Honey Weiss, and Friar's Rabbit IPA ("It's hoppy!") at Purely Pretoria, 2016.

 I must give special thanks to Marius Botha and his team over at Hazeldean Brewing Co. for organizing the Purely Pretoria event. I remember sitting down with Marius not too long ago when the idea of celebrating Pretoria breweries came up and he's a champion for following through on it! Craft beer isn't just about the beer, it's also about the communities of people involved. And that being said, we had an excellent time and we can't wait until the next one!

Jaco Cilliers, mechanical engineer and brewer of Friar's Habit Craft Brewery.

Cheers! Interested in more beer stories?  Check out these other booze-related stories from The Ticket, The Ride: -Beer Prices Around the World -Clarens South Africa Beer Festival, 2015 -My Personal Top 11 Party Destinations 

Photo Essay: Kruger National Park, 2016

5:04 AM Jmo 0 Comments

Elephant munching on a tree, Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Morning light bathes a beautiful giraffe on our second day driving through the park. The giraffes in the park didn't seem to mind cars or people too much as they were always walking alongside our car, or crossing the road!


We interrupted this beauty eating lunch. Sorry! Go back to your business!


While driving across one of the bridge's of the Crocodile River we saw a herd of 10-15 elephants bathing and playing in the dirt along the river's edge. We saw a few elephant babies pushing each other in the mud and this juvenile giving himself a dirt bath.


This little bushbuck was hiding under a tree a ways away from the lion takedown.
Stay safe little one!


We had the pleasure of spotting not one, not two, but three leopards during our time in the park. We also saw two impala that were carried up into a tree by a leopard and left for later supper. This leopard in particular was laying alongside an elephant herd and a rhino just off to it's left. Three out of the five "Big 5" in one setting!


Impala are very common in the park. Some people pass them up while driving through the park, but, I still find them to be incredibly interesting and beautiful.


We spotted a few troupes of vervet monkeys through the park. One troupe warned us of the lions that took down the bushbuck by screaming warnings at each other and scattering up whichever tree they could find!


 My Dad doing his best Quint impression while fishing on the Komatipoort River for tiger fish. We caught a few small ones. But my Mom is the one who took home the trophy for Biggest Catch with the huuuuuuge catfish she caught!


 A beacon of hope as we left the park... a baby rhino!
 Rhinoceros are being hunted to extinction. Though anti-poaching efforts have severely cut down on the trade of rhino horn, there is still much to stop and be done. Please visit: https://www.savetherhino.org/africa_programmes to do your part to save these incredible creatures for future generations. Education is the FIRST step. Share their plight!