Wednseday 13th October
Arrive in Glenelg, Adelaide, for the evening get together at the Rodney Fox shark museum. Drinks and nibbles accompany a chat from our host Andrew Fox, it’s also a good chance to meet the other people on the trip, sort out wetsuit / drysuit and sign the appropriate forms (“if you fall in, no-one is coming to get you…” is re-assuring)
Thursday 14th October
Late morning departure to Port Adelaide to board our vessel, Falie. Watch the cages and bait loaded on and shown around. Stood around for a while and departure is delayed due to the compressor not working. Advised that trip could be a bit rough once we clear the estuary. Sea-sick tablets are a good option.
Finally underway mid afternoon and most people occupy their time sinking a few beers and enjoy the sea-breeze. Everybody gathers for tea at 7, and phil is not looking too hot, in fact very, very green. He leaves the galley after hardly eating and the dominoe effect is pretty immediate?.several others head out “to get some fresh air?I soon follow regretting the beers drunk earlier.
Friday 15th October
It turned into a long night with little sleep. Manage to avoid being sick but can’t face brekkie and sleep in. What a landlubber!
We’re here - after about 18hrs we’ve arrived at our dive site; North Neptune Island. Anticipation is high and I stand for ages watching the half tuna bobbing up and down in the waves, waiting for something to come and grab it. The water is clear and blue and very inviting, although it’s cold and really wouldn’t be safe to go in, unless you’re in a cage that is. The weather is fine and a good day to get in the cages. I have a trip down to the bottom, hoping, hoping that a large shape will cruise over the top of us…….but it’s not to be. Bloody freezing at the bottom and my fingers are numb by the time I get back to the top.
Back on board I keep watch, still hoping, but by tea time, there’s nothing to report. Have a cracking feed (every meal was first rate!) and watch jaws?.The cage destruction scene, towards the end, was filmed in South Australia and it sticks in my mind?
Saturday 16th October
It’s been decided to try a different dive site, around the other side of the island, but we return to the original site and set up shop again. Expectation is still high and a lot of time is spent up on deck just watching and waiting. Eventually I’m forced to find something else to do and after declining the opportunity to go in the cage again, I head down to the galley instead to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indianna Jones and the Temple of Doom. A couple of quality films to pass away the time. Still no sharks and we’re now left with just one more day. After the food we have a quiz night and a piss up. Good laugh and a lot of drinking.
Sunday 17th October
Am up quite early considering and still hoping…….Not many people are up and about and it’s all very quiet. We up anchor again and set off round to the other side of the island, this time with the intention of heading onto the island using the launch.
Everyone is eventually on the island and after an hour or two of seal watching I’m bored and eager to get back on board and carry on watching the sea.
Those of us on the 4 day trip are now jealous of those on the 8 day trip as they will have another opportunity, but we are now down to hours and I’m desperate to see something?
After catching some rays, a few of us head downstairs to finish the Indy Jones trilogy, except one of the crew is watching ‘snake eyes? About 20 minutes in, the shout says it all S-H-A-R-K! Brilliant, here we go.
I rush up on deck with the video camera and join everyone else pinned to the back of the boat. A 3.5m missile is cruising around the bait and it is well worth the wait. The cages are dropped and people start getting changed. At the beginning of the trip we were advised to get as many shot / pictures of any shark, from up on deck and not run straight away to get changed, because it could go as quickly as it came. We’re all pretty much following this advice except Anthony, who plays it smart and is the first one ready and in the cage. The shark makes several passes before turning and biting the top of the cage ?the underwater footage that Anthony got of this is fantastic.
So enough, of filming from on board, I need to get in there. I’m one of the last (of the 4 ‘dayers? and by this time the sea has gone quiet. I get the suit on, the weights and the tank and it’s now time to take the giant stride into the cage. I think I made it too giant a stride and crack my shin on the bar at the front of the cage and hit the bottom with a thud. It’s difficult to get to my feet, but eventually do and then have to move right over to the side of the cage to let the final person enter. There's four of us now and the lid is closed and we're pushed away from the back of the boat. We're hanging around for at least 20 minutes and there's still no sign of the shark, my fingers have gone numb from the cold but there's no way I can ask to come out now.........
We're up to about 30 minutes in the cage now and one of my fellow cage dwellers is suddenly gesturing excitedly at the front of the cage; here it is, just cruising towards us. It is a fantastic sight as it comes close by the cage, makes a pass and then just melts back into the distance, before coming round again and again. After waiting for what felt like an age, the shark seems to hang around for an age as well, and despite knowing the limitations of my cheap underwater camera, I keep firing off the pictures.
You didn't want the thing to end, but obviously it had to as we had to make tracks back to Port Lincoln, which would mean the end of the trip for the majority of us. Despite how lucky I've been to see such a magnificent creature, I'm a little disappointed that we didn't see more of them, and have the opportunity to make at least one trip to the bottom to see them, but that's the way nature is.
There is always the chance to come back and do it again though.......
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