SPORT & OUTDOOR

AUGUST 2012 WHAT’S ON 61

As caring, sharing types, we thought it was time for our man Matt to face his fear of Jaws. And where better than the new Shark Safari at Atlantis?

Anyone who knows anything about the murky depths knows that sharks are the

menacing bloodthirsty lords of the water. Well, that’s what watching hours of the Discovery Channel tells me.

Years of pop-culture scaremongering has many people, myself included, convinced that as soon as they dip their toes into the water, Jaws and his buddies will be there waiting to feast on them like a tourist at their first brunch.

However, attempting to dispel those fears, the team at Aquaventure has opened up the region’s only Shark Safari allowing anyone – diver or not – between the ages of eight and 80, to spend 20 minutes walking (that’s right, walking) around with some of the underwater world’s most feared species. All without getting your hand bitten off or your hair wet.

GettinG StartedIt’s not every day that you get the chance to wake up and 30 minutes later find yourself wandering

around inches away from six-foot-long blacktip reef sharks, and still be in the office in time for elevenses. It sounded like a pretty good deal to me – except for the shark bit that is.

The premise is simple: wearing what is essentially modern day diving helmet, with oxygen pumped in to allow you to breathe normally, you have free rein to explore the shark lagoon pool. The helmet, while heavy out of the water, is virtually weightless when submerged.

After trying to memorise everything said during the five-minute safety briefing, I swallow what is left of my nerves and take the first few steps down the ladder into the water. I wasn’t sure if the chills that were shooting up my spine were from the cold water or that I have just climbing into the shark-infested tank with nothing but my swimmers on. Where’s

was my cage? My chainmail suit? Some

gloves? Please? Anyone? Submerged up to my shoulders,

the team loaded me up with the helmet and instructed me to descend into the depths.

into the deepGranted, it may only be four metres deep, but as soon as I was under the water it felt like entering a different world – well, either that or a flooded level in The Crystal Maze.

Going down the ladder proved to be the trickiest bit. As I slowly tread step-by-step I had to equalise the air pressure building in my ears several times, either swallowing or, as there is enough space in the helmet, by bringing my hand up and squeezing my nose. Despite the air tank working perfectly, simply by being underwater my instincts made me want to hold my breath. I had to make a conscious effort to breathe normally.

That was the hard bit over. Now for the ‘try not to get eaten’ part.

WalkinG With SharkSWith my feet firmly on the ground, I finally had time to take in my new surroundings. There were hundreds of fish all around me. It was brilliant. I hardly noticed how cumbersome it was to move around with the helmet

on, as enormous rays and brightly coloured fish swam millimetres from my face. I continued walking around, gazing every which way in case I missed anything. And there they are: the sharks. An impressive looking Bowmouth Guitar Shark swam right up to me. I braced for impact, muttered a final prayer and frantically tried to remember some survival techniques, recalling something about a punch to the nose, staying still or climbing a tree. But then… nothing. He didn’t even notice me.

VerdictThis is a great fast-track way of getting up close with some incredible marine life. Although the gear is somewhat awkward to move around in, you hardly have time to notice it with so much going on around you – and as it turns out, sharks aren’t half as bad as TV makes them out to be.

Aquaventure, Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, daily, Dhs275 per person for 20 minutes. Tel: (04) 4261000. atlantisthepalm.com

Walking on the wild side

‘Danger’ Matt

Big Shark

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