Shark Tails

Toasters and coconuts kill many more people each year than do sharks, but I have faced those fears already. As for sharks, my time finally came.

Dave, Tanner and I went shark-cage diving off the coast of Gansbaii, South Africa, at "shark alley." It's one of the Discovery Channel's favorite places to film given the inordinate numbers of great whites that tend to show up. Dropping anchor near Dyer Island (home to a colony of 55,000 delicious seals), the three of us were the first ones out of the boat and into the water. Throughout the day, 11 great whites made an appearance, some of which were massive even by great white standards.

In the cage, the fight-or-flight response definitely kicks in pretty good. As the epinephrine flows, you unfortunately can neither fight nor flee though since you're underwater in a cage. On the upside, no one ever knows if you pee your wet suit.

Dyer Island, a.k.a."Shark McDonalds," is home to a colony of 55,000 Cape Fur seals. They're the sharks' snack of choice and the reason so many great whites come to the bay.