LEMON SHARK COAST
On the Cape Verde Islands
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An irrepressible passion for discovery drove us to the eastern tip of the island of Sal to see the Lemon Sharks, who for some reason chose this particular place for their fun games.
For those who don't know: Lemon sharks are sharp-toothed and short-snouted sharks that can reach 3.5 meters in length and weigh up to 180 kilograms.
And so, we rush across the island among the raging greenery to meet with short-haired adventures!
Vivid landscapes that open before us on the way show the diversity of flora and fauna of the island of Sal. Unlike most of the world's tourist islands, which have preserved the boring primitive state of the surrounding nature, here on Sal - traces of civilization are regularly seen.
On the way to the Lemon Shark coast, you sometimes come across unusual, one might even say, vintage buildings, which by their appearance show the way that human architecture has gone a long way from huts made of sticks to modern buildings made of metal and cement.
And so, we reached one of the landmarks in the desert - an old ragged fishing net on a tree, suggested that the meeting place with short-necked sharks was already very close.
We arrived at the office that is organizing a shark meeting. It was nice to meet advanced hipsters who are into vintage motorcycles.
You may get the false impression that the guy in the hat has stuck a huge pin in his head, but no - it's just a random effect of our camera.
And now we can recall the anecdote about marketers in Africa: a bad whine: we won't sell shoes there - they all walk barefoot, but a good one is happy: we will sell 5 times more shoes, because they all walk barefoot ...
This anecdote came to my mind after they brought us a box with GALOSHES !!!
I repeat once again: in Africa, on the Cape Verde islands, tourists who come to see Lemon Sharks are asked: "Do you have galoshes with you?" !!!
And they are very surprised when they receive an unexpected answer: "No, today we are without galoshes. Usually, we bring galoshes to any resort, but this time for some reason we did not take them ..."
Since we did not have galoshes with us, they were offered to rent them at 2 euros per pair per hour (65 UAH).
For comparison, buying galoshes in Kiev costs 20-25 hryvnia.
But this is not the worst thing. The worst thing was that we were assigned an albino guide.
In the background of the photo, where Natasha is dancing in galoshes, you can also see him in a blue cap with a white band ...
I am suspicious of albinos, after Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code , where the monk Silas killed everyone who tried to find out this code. It turned out easier for us: our albino guide kept ahead, not particularly straining us. We didn't even quite understand what his role was ...
And now the truth: if you dare to rent galoshes for a hike to sharks, then know that the bottom on which you will go is just a set of blades made of coral and cornerstone basalt. Galoshes do not protect at all, but just slightly neutralize the pain from sharp thorns that wish to pierce the researcher's feet. There were several moments when even a tough nut like me thought about going back to shore. Or maybe the galoshes were of poor quality ...
You can only see sharks near the horizon, where the waves break. Here is a picture of me, who has just begun my painful journey there. The smile has not yet left the face, and the eyes already show the level of moral suffering ;-)
After overcoming ourselves, we got to the right horizon for viewing Lemon Sharks. Turning around, I could not help but photograph the shore, which was so far away. And one thought that it would be necessary to return along this road from the sharp blades at the bottom - moved us forward ...
When it came time to return, the tourist buses brought many shark lovers, but we on our way back quietly sympathized with these inquisitive comrades.
Have we seen Lemon Sharks? Yes, we were able to see three shark babies that swam into this bay. One was even photographed. True, the wind, which created ripples on the surface of the water, did not allow photographing the shark in high quality, but it is quite possible to consider it.
We got to the shore and with incredible joy freed our legs from the tight galoshes, photographed them goodbye and rushed home to the hotel ...
At the end of the excursion, we photographed the coastal landscape of the Lemon Shark coast, realizing that even if someday we return to Sal Island, the short-necked sharks will hardly ever see us ;-)
