Once you survive a year like mine, nothing seems scary anymore, so when I heard the best trip in Cape Verde was swimming with sharks, I thought why not! Admittedly, sharks are attracted to shiny things, and yes, my Genium X3 prosthetic leg is the shiniest of shiny things, but they’d come off worse than me if they bit, so off we went to Pedra de lume.
Just try me, sharks.
During the truck ride – that was actually the scariest part of the day – I did question whether my confidence was misplaced, like people who wear bullet proof vests – what if they’re shot in the head?! But we ploughed on, quite literally churning up dirt tracks and swerving around dusty corners. There’s only one main road in Sal – the island’s 29km long and 11km wide – and the sharks aren’t waiting in some layby, so you have to travel off-road and the best method’s by jeep. We hired ours for €150 Euros and had it for the whole day, seeing all of Sal’s sights (there’s about 3.)
As the video shows, there’s not much there. A couple of trinket stalls and a shack where you meet your guide and hire swim shoes. The experience costs around €20 Euros but if you’ve hired the truck (there’s a driver, you’re not expected to navigate the sand dunes alone like Mad Max) entrance to all sights are included in the €150 Euros.
You have to be able to walk across small rocks in shallow water if you want the sharks to swim up to you. You can see their fins from the shore, which is scary enough, but you’ve survived the truck ride so you might as well have the sharks swimming around you, so try your best to get out there. I managed by linking arms with my brother and walking really slowly, and it’s not slippery as such, just uneven.
Once you’re thigh deep, the fun begins. Your guide literally throws bait on your legs – don’t worry my Genium X3 took the brunt and I couldn’t feel it – then the sharks swarm.
It’s great fun and I’d highly recommend. Plus when I zoomed in on the footage I realised I had absolutely nothing to be scared of. My Grandma’s teeth are sharper.
