In Mozambique, in bull shark territory

At Ponta do Ouro, head south Mozambiquethe underwater adventure begins, an unusual affair, strapped to a life jacket. The Zodiac must first cross the “bar” and its turbulent foam, located hundreds of meters from the coast, a maneuver more or less risky depending on the professionalism of the person at the helm. With both feet under the straps, like a porcelain in a Chronopost, the diver sets out to attack the breaking waves.

Explore other episodes

The South African pilot observed the stubborn waves, counted the speed at which the waves from the high seas disappeared on the coast of Natal, and with the knowledge of rolling that he had acquired since childhood, he suddenly decided to increase the throttle. The boat slid between two wave crests, dodging the threatening waves, made several turns, and finally defeated the apocalyptic waves. After a few drops of water, the Indian Ocean was turbulent, with only the humpbacked figure of the whale shaking its tail gracefully, wishing a smooth journey.

Bulldog or Bull Shark?

Offshore, twin coral reefs (remnants of an ancient coast) form an underwater valley that locals call Loggerhead Valley. But it’s not time to keep turtles just yet. Today’s site, called Pinnacle, has other sensations. The place is famous for shark sightings, and four species of shark have their own specific habits and phobias: Scalloped Hammerhead Shark It flees at the slightest flash, Black TipLively, curious, like contact, and the luckiest – less than 5% of witnesses – famous Tigrepowerful ocean princes, have an appetite for garbage chutes. A washing machine drum was found in the stomach of one of them!

But the star of Pinnacle is Bulldogthe terrible Jojo of the ocean, the cannibal of the ocean, the bad boy of the coast, the terror of swimmers and surfers, declared public enemy number one reunion One of five animals that lived with the tiger, the white dragon, the long horse dragon and the giant hammer dragon, it denied from time to time that it had human legs. A tragic mistake of course, but unfortunately often fatal…

The Anglo-Saxons, who never did anything like the others, called it the “bull shark.” South Africans prefer the Zambezi shark, a more elegant surname that refers to its presence in large rivers. The fact that it is the only shark capable of roaming fresh water, a physiological feat that doesn’t make it any more sympathetic, but does present it to us in a slightly less brutal light.

Let’s be together!

Dry depths reach 45 m, but there is no need to waste air that deep. If we go lower, the sharks will descend at the same time as the divers. As we sank headfirst 35 m into the dark depths of the tomb, we were so impatient to see the beast that we hardly noticed the witch head of a grouper as big as a man’s thigh.

The atmosphere was like leek soup, green and lumpy. Ideal conditions for a bulldog that only likes to move in busy waters. The divers followed the instructions they received, kept in good groups, without the slightest danger, just to not scare our guests and get them as close to their target as possible.

Tastes like sardines

The guide, standing a little to the side, pulled a plastic bag from his vest and released a stinky sardine juice broth, a milky cloud that would be irresistible to any toothy underwater predator. You can’t catch flies with vinegar, nor can you catch bulldogs with simple bubbles. Then, this is not Feeding Technically, the honor was safe. Soon, the silhouette so longed for, so expected, was finally outlined in blue-green.

The barrel-shaped look. It’s not so much his size that’s impressive, it’s this muscular fatness, this raw power that we feel is wrapped in leather, ready to explode at any moment. And those annoying little eyes. Some sharks have a blank, almost gentle expression, like a tiger. The bulldog’s pupils fill with fuel, shooting black lightning. We return to the surface, looking under our fins from time to time, still moved by the gaze of these little guys.

Practical notebook

When is the best time to go diving?

Regarding visibility, it is best to count on the austral summer (November to May), but every season brings its own observational rewards. In Ponta do Ouro, February to April is home to bull sharks, December to March to hammerhead sharks and July to November to humpback whales. The Zodiac trip is quite long, sometimes taking an hour, and the dives are carried out in succession with an hour break spent on the anchored boat. People who are prone to seasickness will bring what they need. To observe sharks, the dives are usually carried out in the blue. A level 2 dive is required.

Extending dive time by hunting

Maputo Special ReserveLocated 68 km south of Maputo and 40 km from Ponta do Ouro, the reserve has more than 1,040 square kilometres of savanna and forest, where 350 elephants and around 100 giraffes roam. Lakes Singut, Piti and Monde attract hippos, crocodiles and migratory birds. The park remains little explored and visited.

Who to go with

Ultramarina (www.ultramarina.com), a tour operator specialising in scuba diving, sells a “Special Shark” diving trip in Ponta do Ouro, two dives a day, 6 days and 7 nights in 2-star accommodation, with flights from €2,615, including airport hotel transfers.

Explore other episodes

In the video—— Divers swim with a 20-foot white shark in Hawaii (2019 archive)