There’s no end of dangerous sports to try out in Southern Africa-bungee jumping, skydiving, water rafting. But for a new rush, how about swimming face to face with a killer shark?

The public seems interested in finding danger in this activity. Cape Town’s aquarium has been filled with divers who want to swim with the sharks since it opened its tanks to paying visitors last month. Around 70 tourists aged between 12 and 40 have paid 275 rand (US $55) each to spend up to an hour with Maxine, Dee and Floyd, the aquarium’s three sharks.

And conservationists say the project should help change the damage done to the shark’s image by the popular movie Jaws.

“People will always pay money to be a bit daring,” said Paul Loetter, an aquarium diver. “Most people think every shark is dangerous, but they’ve got the wrong idea.”

Each visitor can swim with the sharks and other fish that share their tank, guarded by aquarium divers armed only with a stick to keep off any over-friendly sharks.

“This is part of a communication and education programme to show sharks are not as bad as everyone makes out,” said Tony McGyre, operations manager at the aquarium.

Len Compagno, head of the South African shark research center, agreed. “It’s no joke to play around with a big dog. In the same way, a three-metre-long shark could put a few holes in you.” he said.

Leif Richardson, who is a conservation biologist, and I are out with the goal of piecing together a picture of where wild bees live, and which species are in trouble in the home range of a native bee called Crotch’s bumble bee (大黄蜂). That bee is protected by the state law, and it’s one of the many species under survey.

Our journey began at the foot of a mountain in Leo Carrillo State Park. It was a cloudy morning. We set off for a short hike, armed with bee nets and a cooler to cool any bees we would catch. It’s a harmless way to temporarily calm the bees, and to allow for more careful study and photos.

Just a minute later, as Richardson walked into a meadow (草地), I heard him scream, followed by a snake! He stood there frozen for a moment before backing away towards the path, and then the snake went away.

We were a little more careful with the possibilities then, as we prepared to catch our first bees. They were not hard to find—I could hear them buzzing everywhere, and soon Richardson said it was time for me to catch one.

He told me to pinch (捏住) the tip of my net and held it upright, while slowly lowering it over a flower where our bumble bee was standing. As soon as the bee realized what was going on, it buzzed furiously inside my net, and then slowly climbed up the net towards the tip right where my finger was.

It all seemed like a high possibility to get stung (被蜇). But Richardson assured me I would be fine. He had some advice for holding it. “You’re going to pinch harder than you think you need to, but not so hard that you hurt the bee.” As my fingertips got closer to the bee, it felt like I could hear it buzzing louder and louder. Richardson performed this whole process in seconds. For me, on the other hand, it was a nervous act of much concentration. But it paid off—and soon, I got my very first bee!

If you’re new to San Francisco, paying the city a visit, or simply looking for a new playground for you and your dog, here are four of the finest dog parks in San Francisco.

Corona Heights Dog Park

Often visited by residents from all over the city because of its nearness to the Randall Museum, Corona Heights Dog Park offers pets and owners breathtaking view after a steep hillside climb, and a fenced dog area that allows dogs to let loose without a leash (狗链). Owners will also enjoy the playground, tennis courts and basketball courts.

Dolores Dog Park

The grounds of Dolores Park once served as camps for those who were left homeless by the 1906 earthquake, but now are often visited by crowds of Mission District people. Four-legged friends can also wander about care free off-leash while making friends with other members of the doggie community.

Pine Lake Dog Park

Famous for its place as a rest stop for hundreds of species of birds to fly to and from warmer climates, Pine Lake Park is also prized by city dogs and their owners for their nice hiking paths, picturesque lake suited for swimming, and off-leash area on the park’s west end that lets dogs run free.

Buena Vista Dog Park

With a history of 146 years, Buena Vista Park is San Francisco’s oldest park. Dogs and owners with plus energy will love burning it on this park’s steep paths and winding staircases. Dog owners should have good control over their dogs, as it’s quite easy for dogs to get separated when going through Buena Vista’s many twists and turns.