Top Of The Food Chain

Our Sunday distance swimming tour had taken us along the shoreline, visiting turtles, fish and eels, though arches, tunnels, into caves and following a coral reef finger out into deep water. Now in deeper water, we were headed to view the sunken landing craft outside the middle of the bay.

I was swimming apart from others when I stopped a short distance from my gang of pink cap swimmer friends. They were motionless with all their heads down, an indication they were looking at something down under. I knew Toni, the kayaker, would tell me what they were seeing. Toni warned, "Lynne, there's a shark swimming toward you!" I put my head under, and indeed it was true, out of the deep blue a 8-10 foot Tiger Shark is headed straight to me and only me, since I was dangling out there solo.

Fright? Fight? or Flight?

Fright? There was not the room or time to be scared. I was in survival mode and knew this was a situation I need to face and get through, to stay together and face this bad boy! Flight? I subconsciously knew I could not swim away from this guy, I wanted to keep my eye on him which meant staying in place and looking at him looking at me. Fight? Yep, that is what it came down to! When he closed the gap between us, I put my hands into fists and was looking at his snout, knowing if I needed to punch him, I wanted to aim for his nose and not put my fist in his mouth.

Later, safe on shore, report was they saw the shark circling a dismembered, upside down turtle on the bottom. They are claiming he was 10+ foot. I had no reference to size him, it was only the shark and I, in a seemingly very, very small ocean. He was bigger than my friendly swim buddies, the 6-7 foot spinner dolphins.

Excuse the following video, my camera went askew when I took my head out of the water to ask Toni, the kayaker "He's got stripes, he's coming toward me, please come here!" second plea, "H-e-l-p!!"

As he came right at me to within a foot from my face, again, excuse the askew camera, I put my hands into fists, thinking I may need them for defense!

Thanks Toni for being there and staying next to me after! I am relived he was only curious. I did not feel any aggression from him, but coming that close to me was a bit too close for comfort!

Sad, You Tube "disabled" the music. Sorry! Maybe I will redo someday. Click the arrow on the lower "Blogger" video for soundtrack.