(2-minute read)
I have spent the last few weeks in Cape Town, South Africa and after many months, it was great to finally be back diving in kelp forests! Here, I have been diving and shadowing with the Pisces Divers dive shop and connecting with local scientists and ocean-lovers alike. I also got to see penguins, gigantic short-tail sting rays, baboons, and so many cute little shy sharks all for the first time. It was really exciting!
My goal during my time here was to learn a little bit about how dive shops are run as well shadow divemasters and better understand the role they play in a shop. I also aimed to get my camera out as much as possible, talk with local shark scientists, and finally go diving in an aquarium!
At the dive shop it was cool watching the staff communicate with guests, support diving operations, and keep guests together. And after diving, it was a busy time to clean equipment and download photos and videos from the dive.
I had a wonderful experience learning about local diving and meeting so many different people! And I was beyond excited to be surrounded by kelp. One of my favorite things ever when diving is being under all the tall kelp, watching the sun shine through, and all the fish swim above.
Unfortunately, I got a nasty ear infection during the mid-way point of my trip and was benched from diving for a bit. Luckily, attending ocean events, chatting with scientists, and the local penguin colony made everything better! I was also able to take some time and explore the Cape Town area a little bit which was really fun!
Once I recovered, I was able to get back into the water and my trip ended on a positive note, with beautiful sights, amazing conversation, and diving with a gigantic short-tail ray!
Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Cape Town, and I hope to come back in the future.
Thank you so much to everyone at Pisces Divers, especially to Mike Nortje for welcoming me in. I had a great time finally getting in some kelp diving, meeting new people, and learning a bit more about South Africa.
Thank you to the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society and our sponsor Rolex for making this scholarship experience a possibility. I would also like to thank Reef Photo and Video, Nauticam and Light and Motion for my underwater camera setup as well as Aqualung, Fourth Element, Suunto, Halcyon, and DUI for my diving equipment.
