I will get a blog post up about our recent trip to Hawaii but it might take a few days. In the meantime, I wanted to post about the shark diving we did while we were there, especially since so many people keep asking about it. This was hands down one of the coolest, most amazing things we have ever done. We were able to watch eight Galapagos sharks up close. It was unbelievable. I can't even find the words to describe the experience of being in the crystal-clear water and watching these animals swim in front of us.
Here's how it worked: A boat took us 3 miles offshore (by the way, we saw a whale on the way out!). Once at the spot, they attached a cage to the side of the boat. We were given snorkel gear (very high quality gear I might add), and proceeded 5 steps down a ladder into the cage. The bars of the cage were open so we could put our hands and feet through them if we wanted too. I kept my appendages in the cage since I like having hands and feet. We were able to spend about 30 minutes in the cage, watching the sharks.
We were told that the sharks have become conditioned to show up when they hear the sound of a diesel engine. They weren't kidding. We had barely come to a stop before the sharks showed up. They would bump up against the boat, exploring it. They did not bump up against the cage while we were in there, thank goodness. That would have freaked me out! And no I haven't seen the movie 47 Meters Down, even though many of my "friends" told me I should watch it before going shark diving (what is wrong with you people??).
I have to admit that ever since we booked this tour, I have doubted my sanity. I came close to cancelling more than once. Even as I was descending into the cage, I thought, "What in the world am I doing? I must be crazy!" But I knew if I didn't do it, I would regret it. It also helped that a family was in the boat with us and they had a 5 year old that went in the cage. I thought, "If he can do it, so can I." You'll be happy to hear we all survived. There was one mishap, however. For some unknown reason when we transferred the pictures from the memory card to the computer, the pictures that Husband took of me were nowhere to be found. We don't know if it was equipment error or user error--Husband isn't certain he ever actually captured a picture of me, so we have no idea what happened. Despite the lack of photo proof, trust me when I say I was definitely in the cage. After all, who do you think took the pictures of Husband?
Again, this was an amazing experience. It was worth every penny we paid. We would do it again in a heartbeat, which says a lot because we don't like repeating activities (why do the same thing twice if you can experience something new instead?). If you find yourself on Oahu, you should add this to your to-do list. We booked through Hawaii Shark Encounters. They were courteous, professional, and very knowledgeable about sharks and the ocean in general. They were also a nice, calming influence to have around right before we stepped off the boat to our almost certain death. #thisishowidieinhawaii
