I went to South Africa mainly for the Sardine Run, and then decided to travel further south. Rainer and his wife from Expert Tours generously hosted me and took me on an unforgettable boat trip from Mossel Bay to Port Elizabeth. During that trip, I saw my first great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). At one point, we spotted some whales and, without thinking, I immediately started putting on my fins and mask to jump in. The captain quickly stopped me, saying I couldn’t do that there because of the great whites. I thought he was exaggerating. After all, I had spent the past two weeks in the northern part of South Africa, getting in the water every time we saw marine life.

Luckily, I listened to him and stayed on the boat. Not long after, someone pointed to a seal swimming far from shore and told me to keep an eye on her. She looked calm, just gliding along the surface. Ten minutes passed, and then out of nowhere, I saw what looked like a torpedo shooting up from below with a massive mouth wide open. It was a white shark. The power of that moment left me in shock. It was both terrifying and awe-inspiring. I felt incredibly grateful to the captain for keeping me safe, heartbroken for the seal, and amazed by what I had just witnessed. White sharks are truly impressive and powerful animals. You can see a picture of that exact moment on the left, taken by the incredible photographer Jürgen Ritterbach.

After a few days of adventures with Expert Tours, where we saw all kinds of marine life, I continued my journey and headed to Simon’s Town to meet my new hosts: Shark Explorers. I had been a fan of theirs for years. From the very beginning of my shark obsession, their website was one of my favorite places to browse for shark pictures and videos. They didn’t just show beautiful images, they inspired people to swim with sharks and learn more about them. Thanks to the Rolex Scholarship, I finally had the chance to visit and join them.

The whole crew welcomed me like family, including the grandfather who was our driver. One day, we went out on a large boat to False Bay, where thousands of Cape fur seals live. The captain told us to watch the baby seals who were venturing too far from the island, unaware of what lurked beneath them. I had a sinking feeling in my chest, and minutes later, it happened. A massive white shark burst from the water and split a baby seal in two. It was raw and real nature, but I felt heartbroken and even a bit nauseous. I realized that kind of shark tourism wasn’t for me. Observing natural predation can be powerful and educational, and there is no doubt white sharks are magnificent creatures, but I don’t have the heart to watch seals, who look so much like little dogs, being eaten.

Still, Shark Explorers did a fantastic job. They took tourists out in a respectful and educational way, helping them understand these animals better. We also got to enter the cold green water in a cage, wearing just snorkels. Seeing white sharks up close was surreal. In my first underwater encounter, I stared out at the murky green, seeing nothing… until suddenly, a huge face appeared right in front of me. Teeth, a big black eye, and a stare that felt like it pierced right through me for just a second. It was wild and scary. I was grateful for the experience, but I also realized something important: as much as I respect and admire great white sharks, I couldn’t see myself running a business that worked with them daily. Once was enough.