Cheap Car Hire in Cape Town

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Over 100 countries agree to protect endangered shark species

NEW YORK CITY (BNO NEWS) – Endangered shark species will be protected after more than 100 countries agreed to a United Nations-supported wildlife treaty, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said.

The 113 countries that are party to the UNEP-administered Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) agreed to prohibit the hunting, fishing and deliberate of killing sharks species covered in an appendix to the CMS – the great white, basking, whale, porbeagle, spiny dogfish, shortfin and longfin mako sharks.

Illegal fishing and trade are not the only factors that have affected the population of migratory sharks. UNEP indicated that habitat destruction, depletion of prey species, pollution with a high risk of mercury intoxication, boat strikes and climate change on the marine environment all seriously threaten sharks.

There are also obstacles like gestation periods of up to 22 months, a life expectancy of up to 100 years, relatively low reproductive rates, migratory patterns, and low natural mortality that make the protections of sharks even more difficult, considering the abundant over-fishing.

Studies show that shark populations decreased significantly in both the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea by 90 per cent, and by 75 per cent in the north-western Atlantic Ocean within 15 years, said UNEP.

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If you are interested in going Shark Cage Diving check out this Gansbaai Guest House.

Diving Cape Town - Great White Sharks, Wrecks and Reefs

Diving is possible along most of the South African coast, from Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope along the east coast on the Indian Ocean all the way up to Mozambique.

Starting with Cape Town, the diving is cold as the next stop southwards is the Antarctic! You have the choice here of diving either the Indian Ocean, as with the rest of the country, or trying the Atlantic Ocean, which can offer cold water with rocky reefs and kelp beds. On the Indian Ocean side the water can be slightly warmer and filled with slightly more choice of marine life.

Both shore and boat driving is available from Cape Town with many excellent reefs and wreck sites available to choose from. Have a look at what is on offer around the Cape Point Nature Reserve, which includes many wrecks such as the Portuguese Lusitania liner (which shares its name with the famous World War 1 ship). Tell people that you have dived on the Lusitania and forget to tell them it is only a namesake and watch their jaws drop! The wreck is well broken up, but there is still plenty of the wreck to explore.

There are also some intentional wrecks in this area, sunk to form an artificial reef for the area. These are a diamond dredger names the Rockeater as well as Elizabeth, Oratava, SAS Transvaal and SAS Good Hope. Also sunk to form an artificial diving reef in the area is the SAS Pietermaritzberg, which in its surface life acted as a minesweeper.

There is also an accidental wreck in the form of the British steamer the Maori, which was sank in 1909 after running aground after leaving Hout Bay. Even though it is over a century since the ship sank, it is in a sheltered position and still remains fairly intact to dive and explore.

There are also natural reefs to explore. Try the Outer Castle Reef where you might be able to find the unusual and strangely named Pyjama Cat Shark plus the usual reef marine suspects on offer. Or you could try diving with the Cape Fur seals at Duiker Island.

Of course, discussing diving in South Africa would not be complete without talking about the White Shark cage diving experiences. From the town of Gaansbaai you can embark on one of these experiences to Shark Alley between Dyer and Geyser islands. Unfortunately, there are so many tourists and operators that a sighting of the sharks can is not only an excellent thrill, but also like a conveyor belt of divers and you have to wonder with the sharks free and the humans in the cages, who is watching who.

If you are ready to find out more about the operators diving in South Africa and find who to dive with, pop over to godiving.org. There are plenty of South African diving reviews about the operators in the area.

Keith Lunt owns and writes for godiving.org, a supply of worldwide diving reviews and information about diving gear.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Lunt

If you want to experiance Great White Sharks up close and personal why not go shark cage diving in Gansbaai South Africa? Find out more at this Gansbaai Accommodation site.

Luxury Holidays on the Whale Coast

Some of the most exciting land-based whale watching spots is located on South Africa's Whale Coast. The whales travel closer to the shore to mate and calve during the latter part of the year. This time is typically known as Whale Season. Luxury holidays along the Whale Coast are very sought after during the Whale Season, which peak between the months of June and November.

During these months, South Africa's coastal waters become home to Southern Right whales. They migrate annually from the Antarctic to Africa's most southern tip to mate and calve, using the protection of the sheltered bays to establish the bond between mother and calf.

The Whale Coast consists of almost 2000 kilometres of coastline, and holiday-makers flock to this area during the Whale Season. Seaside villages such as Hermanus and Gansbaai offer luxury accommodation including eco-reserves such as Grootbos Private Nature Reserve.

There are a variety of activities that tourists can enjoy during their stay on the Whale Coast, especially in Gansbaai. Tourists can enjoy horse-riding adventures through the Milkwood forest, Afro-Montane forests and even cave explorations along the coast.

Learn more about the fauna and flora by participating in guided fynbos 4x4 trips or follow one of the many hiking trails throughout the last of the Cape's Milkwood forests and beautiful floral kingdom of the Western Cape. The various hiking trails are guided by experts and are the perfect opportunity to keep the whole family entertained.

The Gansbaai area is a bird-watcher's paradise! Due to the number of different habitats situated locally, a large number of different bird species can be found in this area. Over 107 species have been recorded thus far, including the rare African Black Oystercatcher and Cape Cormorant. Other bird species that birding enthusiasts can expect to find are the Swift Tern, Crowned Petrel, Cape Ganet, Knysna Woodpecker, Cape Sugarbird, and Orange Breasted Sunbird to name a few.

For the adventurous at heart, shark cage diving would prove an exhilarating experience. There are numerous establishments along the Whale Coast that offer well organised excursions. A cage diving trip to Dyer Island is suggested as the area between the shore and the island has become known as "shark alley" and is one of the best known diving spots in the world for shark sightings. Tourists have the opportunity to come face-to-face with the Great White from the safety of a secure diving cage, watching these magnificent creatures in their natural environment.

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Gansbaai Kayaking

Gansbaai's Great White

Long feared as crazed, cold-blooded killers, white sharks are proving our first impressions very wrong. Cameron Ewart-Smith looked behind the hoopla, while cage-diving in the unlikely boom town of Gansbaai on the southern Cape coast, and discovered a majestic animal in critical need of some good press.

You are a thousand times more likely to die hanging your Christmas lights than to be attacked by a great white shark. Even dogs - our best friend - killed more people worldwide last year than have been killed by all species of sharks in the past hundred. With approximately 150 scalps a year, coconuts are positively bloodthirsty by comparison.

Even so, as a journalist entering the shark-infested waters off Dyer Island, near Gansbaai at the southeastern point of Walker Bay (close to where the Birkenhead went down), I was particularly anxious. If there's one group of people sharks should be peeved at, it's us. No other group has spread more falsehoods and hyperbole than the media... with the possible exception of Hollywood directors that is. If sharks were Americans they'd sue... and if I were a movie director I'd be safely ensconced somewhere high and dry in the Sahara.

Anxiety soon fled, however, as Brian McFarlane helped me and underwater photographer Geoff Spiby into the metal cage bobbing on the surface next to Predator II, the 12-metre catamaran he uses to take tourists shark-cage diving. He asked us to leave the scuba rigs on board and breathe using only our snorkels, as the mechanical sounds made by demand valves tend to scare the sharks - that's right, I said scare the sharks.

Unfortunately it was summer, not the best season for cage diving, but as we slipped into the cage the signs we'd have a good encounter were promising - a five-and-a-half metre female was mooching around. Let me say it again in case you glossed over that statistic... FIVE-AND-A-HALF METRES - bigger and heavier than a long-wheelbase bakkie.

As we submerged, peeping out from the bars and holding our breaths, the shark appeared out of the gloom. Passing within touching distance she glided by effortlessly, propelled by imperceptible movements of her tail. It looked almost artificial … as if she were a model toy driven by a little engine. The eyes were not those of a puppet, however. They were alive, assessing us, unfamiliar visitors to her aquatic realm.

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Gansbaai Accommodation

White Shark Cage Diving

Gansbaai Accommodation | The Roundhouse

White Shark Diving

This is possibly the greatest thrill that you will ever experience. Just imagine pulling up on the boat in 'Shark Alley', the open stretch of water between the mainland and Dyer Island off Gansbaai, South Africa referred to as the White Shark Diving capital of the world. The wonderful thing about shark diving in Gansbaai is that you only have to take a 20 minute boat ride to Dyer Island. In the winter time we can even see sharks before the shark chum is dropped into the water and it is clear to see why Gansbaai is named as being the most densely populated area for Great White Sharks in the World. We get White Sharks here along the coast all year round but Winter is the best time to come and see these beautiful animals.

The beauty is that in Gansbaai you do not have to be a qualified diver to see the Great White Sharks from the boat or cage. As the cages are mounted next to the boat and floated on the surface it is very easy for inexperienced divers to jump in and take a good look at the Great Whites as they cruise past the cage. For most of the year the divers do not use air or snorkels in the cage as the bubbles tend to make the Great White Sharks nervous and very cautious. We want the shark to be comfortable with the boat and people diving in the cages so that they will come as close as possible. It is not uncommon for a shark's pectoral fin to glide just into the gap in the cage as it swims past.

It is important to stress that you do not have to dive in the cage to see the Great White Sharks. The boat based viewing all year round is exceptional and there are many people who just take the trip to see the Great White Sharks from the boat. Unfortunately there is no difference in price to just view the sharks from the boat. The costs involved are virtually the same with the Chum, Bait, Catering, Crew, Fuel and Environmental taxes. It is simply a bonus if you decide when out there to slip on a wetsuit and jump in the cage to have a closer look.

Your shark tour day...

Upon arrival at your operators crew house, breakfast will be served and you will receive the briefing about the day. You will then take a short walk down to Kleinbaai harbour where 7 of the 8 shark diving boats are based. From here there is a short 15 to 20 minute ride out to Dyer Island where we will find a suitable spot to work with the sharks and anchor.

Once the chum is in the water we must just wait for the first shark to arrive! This could take 2 minutes, 2 hours or in the worst case not at all. The Great White Shark is a wild animal and we are dealing with nature but for most of the year we have a 99% success rate with shark viewings. Once the shark is around the boat divers will kit up and then jump in the cage! No experience is necessary and you can decide to go in the cage when out at sea so there is no pressure. The boat based viewing is exceptional and if you do not want to go in the cage you will still have a memorable day with these beautiful and awesome animals!

All divers will take turns in the cage (4-5 at a time) and it will only take 3 cage rotations for everyone to dive due to the smaller number of clients on the boat compared with some of the boats. This means that you will have ample opportunity to go back into the cage and spend lots of time with the Great White Sharks face to face in their domain.

There is a Videographer on the boat filming the experience and the crew is very experienced and knowledgable about the sharks and area.

Following this ultimate experience with the sharks we will ride back to the harbour (only 15 minutes away) and enjoy lunch at the crew house whilst watching the Video of the Day. You will have the opportunity to buy this on DVD.

It's the sharks - or we starve tonight

GANSBAAI perlemoen poachers say despite their fear after the death of a friend in the jaws of a great white shark, they will continue to dive and poach perlemoen because they have no choice.

Although the self-confessed poachers have momentarily halted their illegal activities, they have not ruled out returning to sea.

"I'm thinking of selling vegetables now but in the long run I know I have to go back to the sea. I have to force myself because I have a family who I have to look after," said a 36-year-old poacher who calls himself Zulu.

Zulu was part of a group of eight poachers who witnessed the shark attack on Nkosinathi Mayaba at Dyer Island last Wednesday.

While police Casspirs parked along the Kleinbaai coastline and policemen patrolled, Zulu shared his views on poaching at his home in Masakhane this week.

He explained that the high unemployment rate in the town, discrepancies in the allocation of fishing permits and their responsibility to support their families forced them to return to the shark-infested stretch known as "Shark Alley".

"The only jobs here are in construction and you only work one or two days. This is not enough to feed my family, which is why I have to look for other means of earning an income," said Zulu.

Saider, another poacher, said, "We have spent close to R1 500 on permits to dive, but we have been denied permission. The only people who get permits are those who are experienced and have established professional fishing businesses."

He said wealthier fishermen often included them in their permit proposals but neglected their needs once their permits were approved.

"I know I don't belong in the sea and when I'm there I know I'm between life and death.

"It is obvious we will encounter sharks because this is where the (shark operating) boats travel. We do get scared because we all know there are sharks there but nobody wants to talk about it."

Mayaba's aunt Nontlahla Masingane said she had warned her nephew about the dangers of poaching but that he said he was forced to dive because he needed to support her - because she was not working - and his mother in the Eastern Cape.

"He was starting to change. He even came to visit us often lately."

Gansbaai ward councillor

Dr Anelie Rabie says the shark attack won't reduce poaching.

"There are not many poachers who will stop. Poaching is a big problem in Gansbaai. A large percentage of the unemployed community turn to poaching as a means of income."

She acknowledged that unfair allocation of perlemoen permits caused an increase in poaching but added that the Overstrand Municipality was holding talks to address the problem and generate employment.

Shark tour operator Jean-Pierre Botha said the community was more concerned about poaching than about shark attacks.

"We are venturing into the sharks' territory ... but poaching is a crime. I understand that they (poachers) need money but it does not make it right."

Gansbaai

Gansbaai is some 180km from Cape Town, near Hermanus.

It is a "one-road" town, and a traditional fishing village.

It is surrounded by a number of bays and includes two informal settlements - Masakhane and Eluxolweni.

It has become a hot-spot for tourists who want a shark- or whale-watching experience.

There are more than 26 000 residents, of whom roughly 30% are unemployed.

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