Cape Tuna Trip

I am down it the Cape for the Cape Boat and Ski Boat Club October Tuna Competitition. There is a boat of spearfishermen that have entered the comp to see how they fair against the fishermen. At the moment the comp is off due to the strong south east winds that are blowing. It looks like the first day in the water will be on Friday when the wind drops off enough to get out there.

View from the cottage in Simonstown

Yesturday we drove 3 hours east to Stuisbaai to see if we could find some clean water. All we could find was clean water very far out in the deep. We tried 5mile bank and the vis was a yummy 2m and 17deg warm. We did one dive and moved on to Arneston. The water there was a little bit better but not great. We then moved onto a spot off Die Mond in  about 18 -20m, the vis was 1m on the surface and about 5 - 6m right on the bottom. There was more fish life here and I got a Santa which looks like a slim pink Rock Salmon.
I was just getting into diving through the 15deg thermocline when I saw a Great White shark. I was on the bottom and turned around to go look in this gully behind me, and there this shark was have a look see.
It was not that big ...for a white so I am told about 4m! Fortunatly it was just having a look and swam off into the gloom. So that was the end of diving that spot!!

The launch site at Struisbaai.

We headed back to Struisbaai with not a whole lot of fish, but it was an experience never the less. The Cape is varstly different from home and it seems there is something new around every corner.

Today I am just visiting some folk but tomorrow we are going up the West Coast .... my hosts are making sure I experience every aspect of the cape .....13 deg water here we come!!

Coatesman