After we had slept in, we set off for our next adventure. Around 08:30 we arrived at Marine Dynamics. At the reception it was noticeable that Mel had failed her exam – reading is not one of her strengths and so she had booked “Diving with the Great White Shark” for South Africans. So we had to pay something extra again, as we were still German citizens, and on this occasion we had to buy another ticket for Andreas.

After a short briefing and a delicious snack, we went to the boat and after 15 minutes we were at our destination. All participants put on their wetsuits – including Andreas. Mel asked herself anxiously, “What is he doing there? After the first group had been able to marvel at the sharks for about 30 minutes, group two was allowed into the cage with Mel and Andreas.

Exam 1 – Live Bait

Andreas, who was not born under the sign of Poseidon, also threw himself into the water. Mel was amazed and hoped that Andreas would not drown. Daringly, he dived under water and filmed the sharks. Unfortunately, no great white sharks had been seen for 3 months, so we “only” saw approx. 2-3m large copper sharks. We hardly noticed the water temperature of 15 degrees – especially when one of the sharks grabbed his bait right in front of us. It was very helpful that Mel kept telling Andreas to keep his body parts inside the cage. After 30 minutes, the little adventure was over and we were given some warm soup to warm us up. If you are interested in the stories about the little intermediate test on board, please contact us with confidence.

Exam 2 – Need for Speed

Andreas was forced to get behind the wheel once again. The initial excitement quickly faded, so that after a short time we were flying over the roads and arrived at our next destination sooner than expected. It should not go unmentioned that there are indeed many speed cameras in South Africa. In South Africa, we don’t use speed cameras, we film them and they all look different. Let’s be surprised how much we have to pay for the speeding Andreas.

Arriving at Cape Agulhas, we first went along the coast to the monument, which symbolises the confluence of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Then we made a short stop at the wreck of the Meishu Maru. … The short stop turned into a long one, because we chatted for a good 40 minutes with a South African couple. They had lots of suggestions on what we should see – Dwesa Park, the Valley of Desolution, St. Lucia, and much more. Afterwards we went to the lighthouse, from where you can watch whales – unfortunately we didn’t see any that day.

Exam 3 – The Meat Mountain

We continued on to Mossel Bay. Our landlord had recommended the Big Daddy for dinner. Here the name said it all. As always, Andreas’ eyes were bigger than his appetite and he ordered the Moers Daddy Burger. The waitress laughed maliciously as she ordered and promised a special surprise. Her laughter grew even wider when she saw Andreas’ face as she served the burger. Andreas didn’t manage the whole burger, but was still praised by the waitress. As a reward, we were allowed to sneak a beer outside. Alcohol has become a kind of dealer commodity in South Africa because of CoVID. No alcohol is allowed to be sold in the supermarket and the liquor shops are only open for a few hours on weekdays. Full of food, we fell into bed after this exciting day.