25 Feb, 2008

The reef lacks the colour that coral lends, but has other attractions.

Our first trip out to sea here in Struisbaai, on the Western Cape coast of South Africa, involved a boat ride of about 40km (25mi) to the dive site, in a wind that would have turned many home.

On our arrival at the site, an area called Skip Skop, the sea was already wild.

When we got to the bottom, we immediately saw this reef lacked coral and there were very few sponges and ferns. But what the reef lacked in colour it made up in fish numbers.

There was a variety of shark species in the area, including soupfin, ragged-tooth and great white sharks.

The soupfin shark (Galeorhinus galeus) has smaller fins than most other species and a long, pointed snout. It is usually found near the seabed, where it eats bottom-dwelling fish.  It is fairly common in Southern African waters.

The ragged-tooth shark (Carcharias taurus), classified as vulnerable by the IUCN, has a blunt snout and unserrated teeth. It is found at all water levels.

Great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are well-respected predators and have a broad spectrum of prey, from seabirds to bony fish to whales. They have black eyes, blunt snouts and saw-edged teeth.

– by Barry Skinstad, Earth-Touch crew © Earth-Touch

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