It’s not every day you take a dip in the I&J Predator Exhibit at the Two Oceans Aquarium and dive with sharks. When two Aquarium staff members – Membership Administrator Razaan Slamong and Visitor Services Supervisor Msa Maseko – took the plunge, we were more than excited to hear about it.
“Wow! I was so close to a shark,” says membership administrator, Razaan Slamong. “I saw sharks with a totally different mindset. Up close they seem totally cool, calm and collected, but I was so overwhelmed I had to remind myself not to jump up and down with excitement.”
And the scariest part of diving? Msa says, “When I couldn’t equalise, which caused unbearable pain in my ears. But I refused to give up and kept trying until I got it right.”
Equalising the air pressure is achieved by allowing air to enter the cavity in your ears to counter the pressure from outside as you dive deeper. The most common way to equalise is to force air into your inner ear by pinching your nose so no air can pass through your nostrils, and then gently blowing your nose.
Razaan and Msa have always been interested in diving with sharks. Razaan, who has worked at the Aquarium since 2007, says, “Wanting to dive with sharks goes back to my stint as a casual in the Afrisam Children’s Play Centre, doing arts and crafts and hosting puppet shows.”
Msa has been with the Aquarium for six years. His job involves interacting with and assisting Aquarium visitors on a daily basis, and booking shark dives for them.
One day Msa said to Razaan, “Let’s do it!” and she didn’t need much convincing. “We were just too excited to have second thoughts,” says Razaan.
Msa and Razaan are not qualified divers and had to complete a resort course with the Aquarium’s dive instructor Iain Robertson. At the one-day course the pair was taught the basics of diving such as how to handle the equipment and breathe. They started their training at 08h30, and after three-and-a-half hours were “amped” to go diving.
“Besides being in a tank with sharks and various big fish, the best part was breathing under water,” says Razaan. “That’s definitely one for the books.”
Msa’s highlight was feeling so comfortable under water, particularly around sharks. “There are more than 400 shark species but less than 40 are dangerous. Raggies [ragged-toothed sharks] are definitely on the friendly list and are safe to dive with.” Qualified instructor required, of course.
Msa and Razaan both say it won’t be long before they’re back in the water again.
Click here to learn more about diving at the Aquarium.
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