Out of Africa

Rainbow on one of my last evenings in Africa

The gang of volunteers at Cape Agulhas on Friday

Bye for now, Cape Town

Almost home! 

            After seven unforgettable weeks, my second South African adventure has come to an end, and I’m writing this post from back home in good old San Antonio. As it turns out, my plans changed slightly from the time I wrote my last update- I didn’t spend my last night in the hostel in Cape Town like I thought I would. Friday morning, Tom stopped into the volunteer house at about nine to say that they’d be taking me into Cape Town early the following morning, and taking me straight to the airport. Jerome had Friday off, but he stopped by the vol house shortly after Tom, just to say goodbye to me. I almost started crying as I hugged Jerome, but he said to me, “I feel like I’ll see you again”, and I guaranteed him that he was right.

            Since Friday was a no sea day, the volunteers spent the day going back to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa. It was my third time visiting that place, but I certainly wasn’t going to complain- I love any outings with the WSP volunteers! We left Gansbaai about ten o’clock Friday morning, arriving at Cape Agulhas at a little before noon. We snapped a few pictures and did some exploring and climbing around on the rocks by the ocean- or I guess I should say oceans, since that’s the spot where the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean meet. After that we drove over to the same restaurant we’d eaten at the last time we were in the area. Tom had brought along some bait, and we waded into the Indian Ocean in the bay to feed the big stingrays that hang out there, then had a late lunch before returning to Gansbaai.

            It was about five o’clock by the time we got back to the vol house. Almost as soon as we got back, I went out for one last walk on the beach. As the cold ocean water splashed over my feet, I realized that in one day, I’d set foot in both the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Probably not too many people can say that they’ve done that. Overall it was a very bittersweet last day in Africa, and I’m glad that I got to spend my last night at the vol house rather than the hostel in Cape Town.

            Saturday morning I woke up early, after thankfully having packed everything up the night before. I originally thought that only the volunteers that were leaving Saturday- Sophie, Julie, Philip and me- would be heading to Cape Town, but it turns out the others were coming along with us to hang out in the city that day. We left about 6:30, with Tom joining us and Grant driving. We made pretty good time, getting to the airport a little after eight. I hugged everyone, trying desperately not to choke up, before throwing my backpack over my shoulders and heading into the airport.

            Thankfully by now I’ve gotten very used to maneuvering my way through airports, as well as enduring long layovers and flights. I had a total of over thirty hours of travel time between leaving Gansbaai Saturday morning (which was still Friday night San Antonio time) and arriving home at about ten o’clock Sunday morning. That time included a dreadfully boring six hour layover in the Johannesburg airport, followed by the wretched seventeen hour flight back to Atlanta. Spending that much time on an airplane is never pleasant, but I always have to give credit to Delta, my favorite airline to travel with, for at least making those hours bearable.

            I’ve been home for two days now, and am still not fully used to being back. My body is still getting back on Texas time, and I think it took about six hours being home before I started saying, “I miss Africa.” There was nearly a two year gap between my first and second trips to South Africa, and I hope it doesn’t take that long for me to get back for a third time. At the same time, it’s always nice to come home, see friends and family, and get back to the familiar feeling of being home, in the city that I’ve grown up in. People are already asking me what’s next for me, and I honestly don’t know just yet. Today is my 24^th birthday, and I’m spending it recovering from jet lag while thinking about what adventure is next for me. There are plenty of ideas in my head, but I won’t give anything away just yet. For now I’m going to enjoy being home while trying to keep my wanderlust at bay. A piece of me will forever and always be in South Africa, but there are plenty of other adventures out there in the world. As far as which one is next on my bucket list, we’ll just have to wait and see. This post’s food for thought: “It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realize what’s changed is you.”- Eric Roth

One More Night...

The moon rising up over the ocean last night. So beautiful! 

I can't get over how much natural beauty this country has

Another nice shark pic from a few days ago

            Today is my last full day here at White Shark Projects, and my next to last full day in Africa (this time!). By this time next week I’ll be back home in Texas, a year older. I’m feeling so many different emotions today. I really don’t want to say goodbye to this beautiful place, and the amazing people I’ve come to know here. That’s what I’m dreading most- saying goodbye to Tom, Mandla, Jerome, and the rest of the WSP crew that I love so much. But I know that I won’t be able to keep away from this wonderful place that has come to feel like a second home. There are many other places in the world that I still want to see and explore, but no matter how long or far I travel, I doubt I’ll ever find somewhere that means as much to me as here.

            Yesterday and today have been very chill and relaxed here in Gansbaai. Since the strong swells have kept us inland, I’ve spent a lot of time walking along the beach, enjoying what precious time I have left here. This morning I went out and did a beach clean, thinking it’d be my last chance to do so. But this afternoon, after coming back from watching a shark documentary up at the top house, I went out and did yet another one. I originally just sat down and started writing up this post, but as I looked out the window at the ocean, I just couldn’t resist it. I just got back home after spending about another hour out filling up my trash bag. I’ll definitely miss doing beach cleans when I’m back home- they’re one of my favorite things to do with my free time here. I love being out by the ocean, watching the seabirds flying and hearing the waves crashing. Beach cleans are also a great way to get some time to myself to just think and take in the moments, and on top of that, I feel like I’m doing something that matters.

            This evening we’re having a braai here since it’s my last night. Some of them suggested going out into Gansbaai for dinner, but I said I’d honestly prefer to just stay here and braai. Going out into town in the evenings is nice, but I just love the whole experience of a braai- all of us sitting outside, playing music and just hanging out together. The company is great, the food is delicious, the beer isn’t a bad addition- it’s an all around great way to spend an evening! I’ll definitely miss braais when I go back home.

            Tomorrow isn’t looking great for going out, but I honestly don’t really care. That trip I went out on Tuesday morning was so nice that if it’s my last trip, I’ll be happy with that. I’m not sure yet exactly what time I’ll be leaving Gansbaai heading to Cape Town, but it should be figured out pretty soon. Tomorrow evening I’m sure I’ll go out into Cape Town one more time for dinner and one last walk around the V&A Waterfront, then I’ll be spending the night at Atlantic Point, the same hostel that I was staying at back in February. Saturday morning I head to the airport to catch my flight to Johannesburg at 11:30. Then, after a four hour layover in Johannesburg (I’m sure I’ll get something to eat and maybe shop around a little), at 5:30 tomorrow evening my wretched 17 hour flight back to Atlanta leaves.

            Even though I hate leaving this amazing place and wonderful people behind, I’m not totally dreading coming home. I’ve spent a really nice amount of here, and a piece of me will always be here in Gansbaai. But I guess I’ll forever and always be a Texas girl at heart. Depending on how much time I have, I may or may not make a blog post from Cape Town tomorrow. I’ll try, but like I said, I also want to go down to the waterfront one more time, so we’ll see. This post’s food for thought: “Quit hanging onto the handrails. Let go. Surrender. Go for the ride of your life. Do it every day.”- Melody Beattie

Enjoy the Little Things...

My afternoon hangout spot yesterday

Jerome chumming ☺

I'm on a boat! 

            This morning was one of my absolute favorite trips out on the boat! I seriously loved everything about this morning! But first, let’s quickly recap yesterday since I didn’t make a blog post. Yesterday there was only one trip out to sea, and it was full, so a few of the vols, including me, got up at five as usual to help get the boat ready for the trip, then I went back to bed for a little longer. After the trip had returned to the harbor a few hours later and everything was cleaned and put away, the plan was for the vols to go snorkeling at our usual spot in De Kelders, then do our regular grocery shopping. I didn’t get in the water, but instead just brought a notebook and found a nice shady spot at the shore to journal and watch the others. One thing that I always recommend to people traveling is to keep a travel journal. While this blog serves as my main travel journal, sometimes I prefer instead to just find a quiet, picturesque spot, and spill my thoughts out by hand onto a notebook. I have journal entries from my time in Wyoming, Peru, Bolivia, and both trips to Africa, and I love flipping through them when I’m home and being reminded of my adventures.

            After returning home from snorkeling and shopping, most of the newer vols went out again to go fatbiking on the dunes. Since I did it a few weeks ago, I stayed home and cooked dinner. Solo travel teaches independence, budget travel teaches money management, solo budget travel teaches cooking skills! I came up with an idea for a cooking competition tv show while making dinner yesterday- send people to foreign countries that are unfamiliar to them, give them a limited amount of money, and see who can make the best meal using only resources and ingredients from the local grocery stores. You heard it here first!

            Shortly after dinner I got the message that there would be three trips out to sea today, and just enough spaces for each volunteer to go on one. I took one of the two spots open on the first trip- even though that means getting up earlier than others, it also often seems like the first trip gets the best shark activity, and best water visibility. Andre took the other volunteer spot on trip one- we definitely made the right choice! The boat launched at about seven this morning, and we stayed out until about 10:30. In that time, we saw a grand total of fifteen sharks- definitely more shark action than usual! On top of that, the water visibility was really good, and it was a fairly calm day out on the ocean, so it made for a really great morning at sea!

            After returning from the first trip, I spent the rest of the morning doing a beach clean, then came back home and made lunch, helped switch the supplies again between the second and third trips, and then I actually went on yet another beach clean this afternoon, going in the opposite direction than this morning. Tomorrow there’s only one trip out, and it’s full, so Tom says he’ll give us a lecture after he gets back from the first trip. It sounds like tomorrow should be a fairly easy, chill day here in Gansbaai. I’m still getting up bright and early to help pack up the boat, though, so I’m going to turn in soon. Yesterday afternoon, as I was sitting on the rock beach of De Kelders journaling and watching the other volunteers out swimming in the kelp forests, I thought about how important it is to enjoy the little things in life. Sitting there beside that beautiful ocean, breathing in the salty air and feeling the breeze on my face was one of those little things. It’s easy to forget those kinds of things, but especially when I’m traveling I like to occasionally just slow down, look around, and enjoy the simple, easy moments in life. With that in mind, here’s this post’s food for thought: “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”- Robert Breault 

Let's Talk Sharks!

      I know that I talk about travel a lot on my blog, and it’s one of my favorite things in the world. I’ve made posts promoting solo travel, busting travel myths, talking about lessons travel teaches you, and other topics that revolve around the idea that traveling is one of the best things you can do. However, many years before I realized how much I loved travel, I loved animals. I’ve always known that I wanted to spend my life working with animals, and I don’t think I could be truly happy in life any other way. So considering all of that, along with the fact that my blog and online personality is “Wildlife Wizard”, I think it’s time to make a post that focuses solely on animals, rather than travel. And, being that I’m here in Gansbaai working with great white sharks, there’s no better animal to talk about!

              When I was a kid, my bedroom was always full of animal related stuff, from the pictures on my wall to the stickers on my window to the books on my shelves. I don’t remember one specific moment or experience that made me have an especially great love for sharks. I don’t think there was one moment; I’ve just always had a natural love for sharks. One thing I do remember from my childhood was a children’s book about sharks that I owned and practically memorized. The last sentence of the book was, “As long as there will be oceans, there will be sharks.” That sentence was comforting to me at the time, but unfortunately, since I’ve gotten older and learned more about the world we live in, a sad reality has hit me. That statement about sharks just isn’t a certainty anymore. It makes total sense that people, even as recently as twenty years ago, may have thought that. Sharks have been on this planet for over 400 million years- that’s more than 200 million years before dinosaurs showed up. In that time, they’ve evolved and adapted to be just about the perfect apex predator of the ocean. From their dermal denticles, or scales, that allow them to swim faster and more quietly through the water to their enlarged liver that serves in place of a swim bladder to their seven senses, sharks have been perfected by evolution to be the best at what they do. In fact, in those 400 million years that they’ve been around, there’s really only one thing that evolution didn’t prepare them for- humans. That makes perfect sense, seeing as how the first of our human ancestors only showed up about four million years ago. Evolution didn’t expect them to have to live alongside things like massive trolling nets, or a society that sees shark fin soup as a symbol of high status, or a floating garbage patch that’s easily double the size of Texas, because in the grand scheme of things, those things haven’t been around very long at all.

            I took this picture out on the boat this morning, and I think it’s my new favorite shark picture that I’ve taken. There are three things that I immediately notice about it: the black tip on the pectoral fin, the eye that’s rolled back white, and the extension of the upper jaw. All are evolutionary traits that help make this animal so amazing to me. The black tips are an easy way to determine a shark’s behavior- if the pectoral fins are flat, the shark is relaxed and comfortable. If the fins are turned, exposing those black tips, it’s a sign of nervousness. That’s one reason people can free dive with great whites without getting attacked- if they see those black tips, they know it’s time to back off.

            Next, the rolled back eye. This is one of my favorite things to see out on the boat, and it’s so hard to get a clear shot of it since it happens so quickly. A shark’s eyes are one of their most important, and most sensitive, features. If a shark loses an eye, it probably loses its life. People used to think that sharks had poor eyesight, but we’re now figuring out that that’s very wrong- they have binocular vision, so they can see all around them, can see long distances, and have a mirror at the back of their eye to reflect light (called tapetum lucidum), so they can see well even in the dark. So, when they attack prey, their eyes roll back in their head so they’re protected during the attack.

            And finally, the upper jaw is thrust out of the skull in this picture. Sharks’ upper jaws aren’t attached to their skull, like in other animals (I’m sure most, if not all of you have seen sets of shark jaws for sale in gift shops in beachside cities). The jaw hangs separately in their head, attached only by muscles. So, when a shark goes in for a bite, those muscles thrust the jaw forward, so it can get a bigger bite. This is another thing that happens really fast, so getting a good picture of it like this is rare. As Tom always says to the guests, when it comes to sharks, you have to take at least a hundred pictures to get that one really good one.

            One thing about sharks that fascinates me most of all is they’re the last apex predator on this planet that is still truly and completely wild. It’s been proven time and time again that they can’t be kept in captivity. The only place in the world that’s been able to keep one alive in captivity for more than sixteen days is the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. With a lot of research and money thrown in, they were able to keep a juvenile (not full grown!) white shark alive at their facility for a total of 198 days. After that, the shark was released back into the wild because it was attacking other sharks in the exhibit. Other places have tried and failed- just last year, a 3.5 meter white shark was caught off the coast of Japan and placed in an aquarium in Okinawa. The shark was completely healthy when it was placed in the aquarium- and in three days, it was dead. Yes, it only took three days! This isn’t about bashing aquariums or zoos; in general, I do support those. But great whites just have to be in the wild to survive, which is why so many people come to Gansbaai to cage dive with them. That’s really the only way to see these animals in person.

            The sad truth is that great whites are one of the top species predicted to be extinct by 2050. There are only 2,000 to 5,000 of them left today, and they have a lot of odds stacked against them when it comes to rebuilding their population. A female great white needs to be 14-16 years old to be able to reproduce, they have an eighteen month gestation, and only have 2-10 pups at a time. I don’t want to make this post all negative, so I won’t go into more detail on this point. I’m going to hold out hope that the prediction of their imminent extinction is wrong, and instead remember that line from the book I had as a child- “As long as there will be oceans, there will be sharks”.

            I hope that this post teaches some of my readers a bit more about the beautiful creatures that I love so much, and that my blog in general begins to change some minds and opinions regarding this very misunderstood animal. This post’s food for thought is a quote that rings so true to me, and often comes to mind when I think about sharks and my love for them: “Follow your passion, we’re often told. But how do you find your passion? Let me put it another way: what is it that breaks your heart about the world? It’s there that you begin to find what moves you. If you want to find your passion, surrender to your heartbreak.”