Cape Town - Many tourists come to Cape Town specifically to tick shark cage diving with the great whites of False Bay off their bucket lists. Renée Barnard works at Apex Shark Expeditions, owned by Chris and Monique Fallows – who are known for their iconic shark films and documentaries – and assists visitors in getting up close and personal with these legends of the sea.
Here she explains how she went from managing a clothing store to managing the booking of Great White shark expeditions.
I am Renée Barnard, booking office manager at Apex Shark Expeditions. My job entails taking incoming calls, liaising with visitors, administration, as well as accounts.
Growing up in Lotus River is something I will never regret. I met many fantastic people and it exposed me to lots of things, good and bad. We needed to look out for each other… and the place taught me that it doesn’t matter where you come from but more of what one makes of one’s circumstances; to be strong and say no to the wrong influences, respect others and gain respect.
Our family home burnt down in 2009, and we moved to our parents’ home in Sun Valley. When we first moved we couldn’t get used to the silence.
In 2010 I saw an advertisement in the paper for this job, and, as I had managed a clothing store, I thought “why not?”
I have always been passionate about nature and protecting our wildlife, however the shark factor scared me. My first encounter with a 3.8m female shark in her natural environment was so special. I felt we made eye contact… Wow, this completely changed the way I thought about them. It made me realise that they are judged badly and misunderstood. This has made me even more passionate about wildlife. We’re here to take care of nature. You can’t always predict what you’re going to see on our trips, but seeing even one shark is an amazing experience and truly a privilege.
It gets very busy here in shark season, which is from February to September and I sometimes work until 9pm. This industry knows no office hours and I get calls late into the evening.
A funny thing that happened once was when a Spanish guest, who did not speak English very well, booked a Simon’s Town shark cage dive, but was found travelling to Gansbaai. Fortunately we managed to rebook him for a different day. That stressed me out as I was new to the job.
The furthest I have travelled is to Port Elizabeth. Sad, I know, and that was 17 years ago. But I’d love to go to Mozambique, the Maldives or to Italy. Locals don’t always visit all the things we have to see and do in Cape Town.
I do love Cape Town, though. Just take a short drive to the beach; we really are blessed with natural beauty and wildlife here.
I love people and I’m very high on loyalty. As a sensitive spirit, people can forget that you have feelings. If I could have the chance, I’d love to go to schools and make a difference by showing them that our wildlife is important, we need to do everything we can to make a difference.
l This holiday season, the Cape Argus in partnership with Cape Town Tourism is introducing some of the fascinating characters of tourism every week, in their own voices.
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