Hello Young Adventurers!

Locations Visited: Cape Town, South Africa

Languages Spoken: Afrikaans and English (But I didn’t hear anyone speaking Afrikaans)

Words Learned: No new words in Afrikaans sadly.

Happy summer, friends! Welcome to Cape Town, South Africa where the sun is shining bright, the seasons are reversed, and amazing animals are around every corner!  I came here with one animal and mission in mind, and nothing was going to stop me from completing it: I was going to cage dive with sharks in the oceans of South Africa like they do on SHARK WEEK!  Let me tell y’all, it was an adventure getting here, so grab your snorkels, stretch your sea legs, and let’s get ready to dive in!

Cape Town, located in the south western part of South Africa, was the home of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and some stunning scenery.  It is known for being a place for both adrenaline seekers wanting to soar on hang gliders, surf gigantic waves, hike beautiful scenery, and interact with wild animals, as well as the lovers of history who come to learn more about the period of Apartheid (a period of intense racial segregation in the country where the effects are still greatly being felt today due to it only recently ending in 1994).  As someone who loves both learning about history as well as doing crazy things outdoors, this was the perfect next stop on the journey.  Unfortunately, due to a sudden illness I got halfway through, I had to miss on a few of the history experiences I had planned.

I hit the ground running my first day here. After months of cold and winter, I was ready to soak up some summer sun at the beach at Camp’s Bay (yes, you read that right- summer!).  Since Cape Town is in the Southern Hemisphere of our planet, the seasons are actually reversed, which means it is currently summer here despite it being winter back home in the states.  With a copy of Harry Potter found in the hostel library and a bottle of water in my hands, I set off to have a great day on the sand.

Here’s the issue, though.  I wasn’t smart.  I neglected to wear sunscreen because my brain told me that it was January and I’d be fine.  The knee-pits on the back of my leg said differently, though, after 3 hours of reading at the beach.  Fortunately I didn’t get too burned, and immediately went to the pharmacy to buy sunscreen to protect myself for the rest of my time here.  It was completely worth it, though, because while at the beach I was able to swim with a pod of 5 dolphins that came into the bay!  The water was FREEZING.  I don’t have any pictures of the dolphins, since I immediately ran into the water when I saw them to play with them, but I’m sure you will find it in your hearts to forgive me on this.

After the beach I was lucky enough to meet up with a friend I had made while traveling in Italy.  Her name is Rebecca, and she is from here in Cape Town.  We were so exciting to get to meet back up, and she wanted to show me some of her favorite sights over the next two days here in the area.  Today she took me to a place called Kirstenbosch Gardens, a beautiful botanical garden that is filled with trees and plants found throughout all of South Africa tucked right under Table Mountain.  

Kirstenbosch gardens was beautiful. There were some incredible plants here from all around South Africa, and they even have concerts every Sunday afternoon. I got to go to one, and we saw a local South African band called “Freshly Ground,” and they were amazing! They sang one of my favorite songs, so I was very happy! Check out some of the music below! My friend took this video- I was extra excited because we sing this song and dance to it every summer at the camp I work with!

My favorite part of the garden, though, was the “canopy walk.” A “canopy” is the top area of the trees where certain animals and organisms thrive away from the ground. This walk was basically a bridge through the sky that let you walk through the canopy, parallel with the tops of the trees which let us get a glimpse into the habitats of a few animals (like owls!) and see some pretty spectacular views.

After the garden, I returned back to sleep and get some good rest because Rebecca and I were going to climb Table Mountain the next day! We left mid-day to hike because we wanted to get up in time to see the sunset over the ocean, and then we were going to take the cable car down afterwards since it would be dark. The hike was incredibly challenging, but also incredibly beautiful. You can see all sorts of beautiful plant life, and even the layers of stone in the mountain in the pictures below. My favorite was when we found a family of dassie, which are very similar to groundhogs but live in rocky environments like the top of Table Mountain. You can see them below!

We took our time, and about 2 hours later, we reached the summit! It felt great to get to work so hard again, and we were glad for the chance to rest once we got to the top while we waited for the sunset. We were surprised when we got to the top and instead of a clear view of the ocean, we were greeted with a sea of clouds rolling over the smaller mountains nearby. It was more beautiful than we ever could have imagined. This was by far the most amazing sunset I’ve ever seen in my life. Rebecca poured us some tea that she packed with her, and we had a small snack while we enjoyed the beautiful views. It’s times like these that remind me how lucky I am to get to be traveling the world like this. We live on such an incredible planet, and we just have to get out there to see it! Hearts full, we took the cable car down as we watched the lights in the city flicker on in the night.

The next day was the day I’ve been waiting my whole life for: the DAY I CAGE DIVE WITH SHARKS IN THE OCEAN!! This has been the #1 on my bucket list since I was about 5 years old and first saw Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Anyone who knows me knows that sharks are by far my favorite animal, and I couldn’t wait. South Africa is known for large Great White Sharks, some that even jump out of the water when they hunt seals. I was so ready to get in the water and see one in action for myself.

I had to get up super early at 4AM to take a 2.5 hour shuttle to Gansbaai, South Africa where I would be getting on a boat to swim. We arrived, had a quick breakfast and lesson on the sharks and why they’re so important. We also were warned we would most likely not be seeing any Great White Sharks during our dive at this time unfortunately. We learned that Killer Whales (or Orcas) have been hunting great whites for their livers, and that when they’re around, the sharks leave the area for a bit. We were assured we would see plenty of large Bronze Whaler sharks, though, and that it would still be exciting. I won’t lie, I was a bit disappointed. But you know what friends? Things don’t always work out like we expect them to, and that doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy what we’re doing. I was still going to get to see sharks under the water, and that was more than enough to make me happy!

• 

• 

• 

We got our life jackets and boarded the small boat as we made our way to where we would dive. The water was CRAZY that morning, and the swells were making the whole boat sway. Everyone was getting sea sick, but that wasn’t going to stop me. I got to be in the first group to get in the cage. I put on my wetsuit, put on some weights to help keep me under the water, and jumped in the cage as the sharks started coming. In all there were about 10 bronze whaler sharks, and they ranged from about 4-7.5 feet long! They were absolutely amazing to watch, even as they bit and smacked the cage with their tail fins. I got to be in the water for about 25 minutes, but it felt like only seconds because I was having so much fun. They were coming from everywhere around the cage, and I still don’t have words for how amazing it was to watch them eat and swim around.

Don’t get seasick watching the video below!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

After getting out of the cage, I got to watch from above as the sharks swam around the boat. We even got to see a seal swimming around! Even though a great white never showed up, it was definitely one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to do in my life, and now I have an excuse to do it again one day!

• 

• 

I made a wonderful friend while at the dive named Hannah, and when we got back to the hostel, we were still so excited that we decided to head to the beach to catch the sunset and grab some food and talk about the day together. I still think that getting to meet all these different people from around the world, share these adventures with them, and get to learn their stories is some of the best parts about traveling.

The next day I took a trip to the Cape of Good Hope with some stops along the way. Our first stop was a chance to take a boat ride to one of the seal islands near Cape Town to watch them swim and sunbathe. It was so much fun watching the seals frolic through the water. They’re so elegant and happy! They were so quick, I couldn’t get a great photo, but you can see them swimming around and hanging out on the rocks below!

• 

• 

We then made our way to an area called Simon’s Bay where the South African penguins have a habitat. Now, these aren’t your normal penguins. They prefer the warmer weather of South Africa rather than the cold of the arctic, and they are only found here along the coast of Cape Town and the surrounding area. They’re really cute and quite small, and unfortunately are an endangered species. Because of that, they have become well protected, and we weren’t allowed to get to close to them in order for them to be able to live and doing what they need to do to survive. They were building nests when I visited because many were starting to lay eggs! Hopefully, with more time and protection, the penguins will one day be removed from the endangered species list. Do you have any ideas how we can help protect endangered animals?

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

After the penguins, we had a small picnic, and then headed to the Cape of Good Hope. We got to ride bikes through the plains on the cape for a bit, and visit a lighthouse right near the end. What I didn’t expect to see were BABOONS! I had no idea they lived here in South Africa, and they were so cool! I definitely didn’t want to get too close to them, but they were amazing to watch. They loved tricking people for food, and we even saw one jump in someone’s car to get their snacks!

• 

• 

The views from the cape were also pretty amazing. Check them out below, and meet some of my friends I got to travel with! You can also see the GPS coordinates of the Cape of Good Hope below!

Unfortunately, the rest of my time in South Africa was spent stuck inside my hostel because I got sick. I had to make sure I took the time to rest and recover, and one day I slept almost 19 hours! I used this time to finish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and let my body recover. I was supposed to go on a road trip on what is called the “Garden Route” with some guys I became friends with, but unfortunately that had to be cancelled. It’s all good, though! We can’t always do everything we want, and it’s important to take care of yourself when you need to!

My next destination is one that I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time. It’s a country that is famous for the Taj Mahal, some delicious foods, and for it’s vibrant and energetic culture! I can’t wait to see you all there, and until then:

Have Courage, & Be Kind,

Mr. Weavil