Recently I had a Costco break room conversation about Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. I dated a girl (Salina) that loved that TV segment, who I was reminded about when I read a Facebook post about Swimming With Sharks Near Me. It’s a multi-layered title; literally and figuratively. First I tell ya about my literal experience, then follow up with my current work situation that I’m in. By the way, Shark Week 2018 isn’t slated until late July.
Swimming With Sharks Near Me
Now that I’m about to explain my travel experience, I find it pun-ny. You see, I traveled to the Bahamas with my wife at the time. (Years later we would divorce – she initiated it) One of the
excursions we booked as a jet boat to Exuma Cay and Shark Wrangler Demonstration. Lemme tell ya, it was awesome and memorable. The jet boat was impressive, big and fast! We visited a few uninhabited islands before arriving to Exuma Cay.
After the tour company gathered us up to the shoreline and along the pier, a sun-kissed man with a rope and a large grouper head tied to it, waded out to thigh-deep water. He explains that he’s a shark wrangler. A what, you ask? He splashed the water several times, then would drag the grouper head in circles until he was surrounded by black-tipped reef sharks.
Obviously, it’s a practiced show, and he was confident with what he was doing. However … he’s still Swimming With Sharks Near Me. After the sharks were fed, and the show was over they returned to the coral reef from where they chilling. A little later they made an announcement that if you would like to follow the shark wrangler out to the reef to swim them. I’m not a strong swimmer but saw any volunteers would be clad in life preservers.
You can insert a joke, like “I will give tribute!”, here.
A flotilla of orange life vests bobbed along behind the shark wrangler, after a briefing on what to do and what not to do. He explained there’s a swift moving current on the east side of the reef. All the sea life like to ride along it, before heading out to the open water of the Atlantic Ocean! At the cut off, he would lead us to the shoreline but a boat is stationed on the boundary in case someone misses it.
Here I am blithely swimming along with other tourists, fish, and the black-tipped reef sharks. I’m in the middle of sea life commuter traffic – seriously. I kept peeking upfront so I’d be in position to swim toward shore. Then all of sudden the fish, and other swimmers are scattering left and right from the middle.
One of the sharks turn around to go against traffic!! He was steaming towards my general direction. Right about now, I was regretting my decision to follow the shark wrangler. I drifted right, and banked my body so I can still eyeball the shark. The shark banked left slightly, so that a piece of paper could be slid in-between us! It was an underwater version of a Blue Angels pass over Lake Washington during Seafair.
I mentally sighed. That was too close.
Then this shark turn around, yet again! ARE YOU SERIOUS! He (was it a male?) passes me again, traveling in the same direction, and with a more comfortable distance between us.
As I emerged from the water at the shoreline, I removed my snorkel gear, and asked out loud, “Did anyone see that shark whip a U-ball in the middle of the pack?” Tons of hands shot up, as well as grumbling, and comments.
What’s my point? My point is that you can swim harmoniously with sharks in your life, but certainly keep an eye on them because if it’s not the status quo they will change directions.
Be good like you should, and if you can’t be good, be good at what you do!
Mic drop *bOoM*
‘los; out
Mom Moments: Happy Mother’s Day 2018
