Weather's fantastic. Now that I'm plugged into an AC unit, I can give ya some more details.....
Friday:
Swimming with Sharks
Absolutely one of the most awe inspiring and adrenaline filled days of my life. We pulled up to the North Shore of Oahu at about 11:30. After watching a few surfers bob around for a while we drove over to the boat.
A fifteen minute ride out in rough waves and a amiable chatty captain named Rich. Who I suspect was exactly that.
The cage was already in place, so I figured the sharks knew where the good eating was. 9am, 11 am, and 1pm come one, come all.
I was the second person that got into in the water. There were 8 in the boat, and after Lara left, seasick, and one other woman decided not to go in, we were able to stay in the water the entire time. 45 minutes to an hour.
The cage was a rectangle, it being longer than wider. NO top on it, as I was to worry about later. It was about 8-10 feet wide but it looked to be able 12-16 feet long, so you could dive further down from the surface.
Turns out that it was unnecessary. From what I found out later, the sharks were already swarming around the boat when we arrived. Ignorance is bliss.
The ocean water was an teal blue and not as cold as I had imagined. My wet suit lay on the dining room table back at the cabin much to my dismay. The view was clear, but the trade winds had whipped up so many waves, I felt like I was being tossed around in a huge washing machine. One hand stayed clamped onto the steel, a cold but an oh so welcome presence.
The cage had a small plexi-glass area about 18 inches long on two sides that ran the length of the cage, with bars above and below. I felt the most comfortable there after exploring each side, angle and corner of the cage. There were the outside bars, meant to keep them out, and a few bars on the inside, for hand holds and a place to keep our feet. At no time did I ever entertain thoughts of sticking ANY body part outside the cage. My new snorkel gear got it’s first trip out, and it was a doozy.
At first, the sharks were a few feet away, with schools of indigo colored fish lingering around, and a few cleaners in the sharks wake. I was focused in one direction when I saw a flash of movement to my right in my peripheral vision. A shark longer than a sofa, but just as thick as one swam leisurely up my corner of the cage.
My heart rate doubled in an instance. I have learned this about myself. I have a very nervous sounding laugh when confronted with something that scares me. I giggled in my snorkel and pulled back involuntarily. My cheesy waterproof camera (no zoom lens just a disposable) bobbed around my wrist, rubber band stretched. I couldn’t believe how hard it was to hold onto the bar and shoot a picture when you’re being tossed around while a half dozen sharks linger within a handful of feet from you.
The captain and assistant after about 20 minutes, deciding that they had to get rid of the rest of the chum, started tossing it a little more heavily, and closer and closer to the cage.
They swarmed around us. The intensity doubled.
A huge fillet of something fell right into the cage beside me. Frantically, I pulled the 2 foot piece of fish out and flung it over the top of the cage, where I saw a shark grab it.
I spent most of the time under water, but came up every now and again. When my snorkel flooded, or when I saw a large shark reach the surface.
I have to say, the real fear hit when I saw a huge shark breach up out of the water, and slammed back down. I knew the cage had no top, and the vivid picture in my mind of a shark jumping up from the water, over the top of the cage, and into the enclosed area with us caused me to hyperventilate for a moment. That’s when I though for a brief instance, we are all going to die.
That…and when I felt the jarring shock of a shark bumping the cage.
Not knowing that there had been sharks aplenty around us before we got into our contraption, I wondered how we were going to get out with so many swarmed around us. Slowly, they started reeling our steel box closer to and then up against the boat, where I climbed, albeit shakily, back aboard.
But before the cage reached the boat an idiot next to me lost his snorkel tube. As I watched it float downwards I saw three sharks dive for it, trying to eat it, don’t know if they succeeded. One poor shark had a hook protruding from his jaw, a testament to his hardiness.
The experience was exhilarating, and nerve wracking at the same time. It was nothing like the calm snorkeling I’ve always enjoyed. Even when the surf was a little rough, I felt like I was just floating around, a part of the beautiful environment, a welcome observer.
Here, with the rough waves, the adrenaline and the overpowering presences of the sharks, I definitely felt like an intruder.
But I would do it again, and yes…I got the T-shirt!
Remember, these pics are from a cheesy underwater disposable. No zoom lens here!!!!
Friday:
Swimming with Sharks
Absolutely one of the most awe inspiring and adrenaline filled days of my life. We pulled up to the North Shore of Oahu at about 11:30. After watching a few surfers bob around for a while we drove over to the boat.
A fifteen minute ride out in rough waves and a amiable chatty captain named Rich. Who I suspect was exactly that.
The cage was already in place, so I figured the sharks knew where the good eating was. 9am, 11 am, and 1pm come one, come all.
I was the second person that got into in the water. There were 8 in the boat, and after Lara left, seasick, and one other woman decided not to go in, we were able to stay in the water the entire time. 45 minutes to an hour.
The cage was a rectangle, it being longer than wider. NO top on it, as I was to worry about later. It was about 8-10 feet wide but it looked to be able 12-16 feet long, so you could dive further down from the surface.
Turns out that it was unnecessary. From what I found out later, the sharks were already swarming around the boat when we arrived. Ignorance is bliss.
The ocean water was an teal blue and not as cold as I had imagined. My wet suit lay on the dining room table back at the cabin much to my dismay. The view was clear, but the trade winds had whipped up so many waves, I felt like I was being tossed around in a huge washing machine. One hand stayed clamped onto the steel, a cold but an oh so welcome presence.
The cage had a small plexi-glass area about 18 inches long on two sides that ran the length of the cage, with bars above and below. I felt the most comfortable there after exploring each side, angle and corner of the cage. There were the outside bars, meant to keep them out, and a few bars on the inside, for hand holds and a place to keep our feet. At no time did I ever entertain thoughts of sticking ANY body part outside the cage. My new snorkel gear got it’s first trip out, and it was a doozy.
At first, the sharks were a few feet away, with schools of indigo colored fish lingering around, and a few cleaners in the sharks wake. I was focused in one direction when I saw a flash of movement to my right in my peripheral vision. A shark longer than a sofa, but just as thick as one swam leisurely up my corner of the cage.
My heart rate doubled in an instance. I have learned this about myself. I have a very nervous sounding laugh when confronted with something that scares me. I giggled in my snorkel and pulled back involuntarily. My cheesy waterproof camera (no zoom lens just a disposable) bobbed around my wrist, rubber band stretched. I couldn’t believe how hard it was to hold onto the bar and shoot a picture when you’re being tossed around while a half dozen sharks linger within a handful of feet from you.
The captain and assistant after about 20 minutes, deciding that they had to get rid of the rest of the chum, started tossing it a little more heavily, and closer and closer to the cage.
They swarmed around us. The intensity doubled.
A huge fillet of something fell right into the cage beside me. Frantically, I pulled the 2 foot piece of fish out and flung it over the top of the cage, where I saw a shark grab it.
I spent most of the time under water, but came up every now and again. When my snorkel flooded, or when I saw a large shark reach the surface.
I have to say, the real fear hit when I saw a huge shark breach up out of the water, and slammed back down. I knew the cage had no top, and the vivid picture in my mind of a shark jumping up from the water, over the top of the cage, and into the enclosed area with us caused me to hyperventilate for a moment. That’s when I though for a brief instance, we are all going to die.
That…and when I felt the jarring shock of a shark bumping the cage.
Not knowing that there had been sharks aplenty around us before we got into our contraption, I wondered how we were going to get out with so many swarmed around us. Slowly, they started reeling our steel box closer to and then up against the boat, where I climbed, albeit shakily, back aboard.
But before the cage reached the boat an idiot next to me lost his snorkel tube. As I watched it float downwards I saw three sharks dive for it, trying to eat it, don’t know if they succeeded. One poor shark had a hook protruding from his jaw, a testament to his hardiness.
The experience was exhilarating, and nerve wracking at the same time. It was nothing like the calm snorkeling I’ve always enjoyed. Even when the surf was a little rough, I felt like I was just floating around, a part of the beautiful environment, a welcome observer.
Here, with the rough waves, the adrenaline and the overpowering presences of the sharks, I definitely felt like an intruder.
But I would do it again, and yes…I got the T-shirt!
Remember, these pics are from a cheesy underwater disposable. No zoom lens here!!!!
im green with anvy jen but i can see u had lots of funn
Sleep, who needs sleep when you're on vacation? Truly? From stargazing at close to 14,000 feet on the summit of Mauna Kea, seeing the southern cross and the north star in the same sky, and Saturn in a high powered telescope to boot. Hiking out on lava fields, and walking out to the beach only a handful of steps away. Snorkeling for hours, taking pictures of 1000 year old pertoglyphs and then drowning myself in garlic shrimp.... 
Man, I did not want to get on that plane. Back to the grey and rain. BOO!!
I actually needed a vacation to get over my vacation.
Good times. At some point I hope to post pics and blog it on my myspace page. On my to do list!
Man, I did not want to get on that plane. Back to the grey and rain. BOO!!
I actually needed a vacation to get over my vacation.
Good times. At some point I hope to post pics and blog it on my myspace page. On my to do list!
Jim the old guy wrote:
Are you going to submit anything creative for UAKMPoster's contest? Or, are you waiting for a different facet of the contest?
I did. I did a caption and submitted my Mii's of the guys in the Creative Works project. Although I'm sure that Rockefeller has soundly kicked everyone's ass so far in that department.
Wow, I'm in the top 5. Never thought I'd be that chatty.
