The "Amazing, Yet Scary!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking deep beneath me at the two dozen or so sharks that we were told would not hurt us as long as we didn't move to quickly.  Yeah, right!  Easy to say when you aren't the one swimming above them.  

Leaving from Stuart's Cove in the Bahamas.

Carol and I, along with traveling buddies Jere and Sue, were taking a snorkeling tour along the coast of the Bahama Islands.  We were riding on a large boat out of Stuart's Cove, making several stops to look at the life under the surface of the ocean.  After a few stops we were told we would make one more stop to view...sharks.  I was one of about a dozen others on the boat that thought that would be interesting and prepared to enter the water.  

The Nurse shark.  Looks scary to me!

The anchor was dropped and the helpers on the boat dropped a large container of "chum" to try and draw the fish.  Below us we could see the sharks arriving.  They didn't look too big, but then again they were pretty far down underneath us.  "Nothing to worry about, since they are only nurse sharks," we were told.  I guess the one telling us that hadn't read the comment on Wikipedia telling readers that the nurse shark is the fourth ranked shark in documented shark bites on humans.  

That is me with legs spread apart next to the ladder.

Those who were willing to be "surface bait" were told we had to wear our flippers, since our toes would be easy to bite off.  We also had to be as calm in the water as possible.  One by one we entered the water and worked our way along a thick rope that had been strung to a buoy about 50 feet away.  Since my last name started with "W", I was the last one into the water.  At least that's what I told them.  

The sharks swam over the back of the boat.

Looking down at all those sharks fighting for pieces of the last boat load of people began to take its toll.  Being that I was the closest to the boat, I returned first, about two minutes after I entered.  The mate in charge assured the captain we all made it back and the  chum bucket was lifted to the surface...along with the sharks.  HUGE, ABSOLUTELY HUGE, so they were.  I must have taken close to 100 photos of the sharks as they tried to outdo each other going along the back ramp of the boat.  I did survive, as is obvious!  Now, I tell you about my experience, because yesterday I watched a young woman by the name of Kimberly Jeffries swim with a 50-year-old, two and a half ton, 20 foot long shark called Deep Blue.  

Did you go to see this movie?

Not an alleged harmless nurse shark, but a killer fish like the one that appeared in the movie "Jaws" and killed boat captain Quint.  You know, the killer Great White!  This shark can swim at speeds of over 35 mph and to depths of almost 4,000 feet.  The great white has no known natural predators other than, on rare occasions, the killer whale.  The Great White is responsible for more recorded human bites than any other shark.  Deep Blue was feeding on the carcass of a dead sperm whale off the coast of Hawaii.  Diver and photographer Jeffries had hoped to capture images of sharks in the water feeding on the dead carcass when she noticed tiger sharks at the rear of the boat.  Exactly what she had hoped to photograph.  Then, maybe 30 seconds later she, and her crew, saw a massive shark gracefully swimming near the carcass.  

Kimberly Jeffries swims and photographs Deep Blue.

She said she thought her heart was going to explode with excitement.  Deep Blue had last been sighted over a year ago near Guadalupe Island off the west coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.  She felt confident, since there was a readily available food source nearby, that she could swim with the shark and photograph it.  The images she posted were amazing.  She reached out and touched the Great White a few times.  And to think I was afraid of an alleged nurse shark!  Wow!  I believe that everyone has a few monumental experiences in their life and for Kimberly, this has to be one of her monumental experiences.  Check online to see some of the videos recorded of her encounter with Deep Blue.  Just Google "Deep Blue".  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS- A few years later Carol and I, along with Jere and Sue, traveled to the Bahamas once again.  And, naturally, took the same snorkeling trip out of Stuart's Cove.  But, this time I chickened out and didn't swim with the sharks.  The only brave one on this trip was Sue who totally enjoyed her experience and didn't have to be the last one in the water.  Good job Sue!

Kimberly swimming with Deep Blue.  Just amazing.  Notice that Kimberly is not wearing air tanks.  She only has a snorkel mask for breathing.  That's also amazing.