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19th - 24th january

Overlanding across Afica in our Land Rover Defender: Mozambique

Andy Lees
2006-05-16 13:45:58

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our advanced. this should put an end to it.

on the first dive of our course, we were deep down in the gloom, admiring a lion fish when the speckled grey flanks of a huge whale shark passed behind claire like a silent train. it had been very close. it's rare to see them at that depth, well, rarer i should say, than seeing them at all. but there was more. whilst completing our safety stop (this involves pausing before surfacing, at a depth of 5 metres for 3 minutes - it helps prevent you getting the bends) another leviathan began cruising directly towards us, diving down level with our depth. we were getting used to this by now, and finned out of the way, but this particular fish didn't keep going like the others had. it turned again. then again and again, twisting its massive body to point its gaping, toothless slot of a mouth towards us. round and round we went, turning tight circles like syncronised swimmers. we had surfaced by now, but the shark still chased us. we knew it didn't want to eat us, but it was getting ridiculous, we were tiring and becoming a little anxious - it probably didn't know its own strength.

the dive boat approached and the instructor shouted for us to stay still. having, by now, little other choice, we decided to give it a try. closer and closer it came; collision course. we braced ourselves. our heads being above water we couldn't quite see how, but somehow it missed us.

we finned for the boat. two sharks now pursuing us. we always hoped to see these creatures, but we never knew that they felt the same way. it was getting too much. claire clambered aboard as i clung to the side of the boat. below, a massive shadow approached one more time. i pulled my mask back on and dipped my head down for a look. the sea giant closed in slowly pausing as we went eye to eye, just a foot apart, before moving off; his curiousity sated and me speachless.

after completing some more dives at tofo ...