Go Niche

WHAT DO Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and the king of Jordan have in common (apart from being famous, rich and male)? They've all swum with sharks. More precisely, they've all swum with Shark Diving Unlimited in South Africa.

The business is run by Mark Rutzen, a submarine daredevil who has been diving with great whites for 15 years - and has starred in a number of productions himself, though mostly National Geographic documentaries.

While Rutzen is happy to frolic in shark-infested oceans with little more than an underwater camera for protection, visitors are protected by a reinforced metal cage.

All diving equipment is provided, and you don't even have to know how to dive to do it. Though there's probably a more technical way of putting it, you just duck under and hold your breath.

Apparently the bubbles of scuba gear scare them off. It doesn't sound very Jaws-like, but then if Rutzen has a mission it is to show that great white sharks are not unlike great big pussy cats, as long as you know how to handle them.

This means making your body seem bigger to repel aggressive ones and making it smaller to attract curious ones. Whatever you do,

never swim away from one,

as anything that does is considered potential prey.

Much better, says Rutzen, "to stand your ground, defend your personal space and stay calm" - a motto that'll stand you in good stead long after you resurface.

Sharkdivingunlimited.com