One of the best sites in the world to see great whites is a strait near Geyser Island in Walker Bay east of Cape Town. Geyser Island is fat with Cape Fur seals, a great white's favorite meal. The sharks swim up the current to the boat, wondering whether there's more where that came from. The fishermen then throw out bait to keep the sharks around long enough for the tourists to get the requisite photos. This new tourist industry is completely unregulated, and competition is so fierce that many observers say the biggest sharks are captaining the boats.
Conservationists worry that chumming and baiting disturb the sharks' natural predatory behavior.
And some experts say that if sharks begin to associate boats with food, there could be trouble. One tourist operator, Jackie Smit of the boat Master of Happiness, says his method of baiting is more snacking than feeding. On a recent morning, he took four intrepid tourists out in a 35-foot catamaran in search of great whites. He stuffs frozen sardines into a three-ply nylon bag, shaped like a sock. The sock is attached to a buoy, which is attached to a rope, which is attached to Mr. Smit standing on board.