Shark Diving

“This was the moment I’d been nervous about while diving for so long. So worried about the fear of seeing one that I’d never let myself fully relax while diving, and now, right when I had my guard down, my first encounter with a shark in the depths of the ocean was happening. To my surprise, I felt no fear. Instead, I felt awe and found myself kicking closer to it to get a better look. I was delighted with how it moved. So effortlessly yet so precisely. Each flip of its fin propelled it forward in a serious yet zippy manner. The shark moved quickly down the reef with its meticulous, powerful swimming before disappearing behind a large coral covered formation.”

“It happened so fast I barely had time to register it, but my heart certainly did. It was beating so fast under my wetsuit and I reminded myself to take slow, calming breaths. Like with the reef shark, I found myself fascinated by it, intrigued by the way this shark moved slower than the reef sharks, and more graceful and methodic, yet still so powerfully through the water. There was no doubt in my mind that it could move faster if it wanted to. Thanks to the fish attached at its sides, it seemed like it was just out on a leisurely stroll with its buddies. But the size! And the shape! Fascination or not, I’m not going to lie, this shark scared me a little. It didn’t zap a panic inducing fear into me that caused me to breathe through my entire tank in minutes like I’d worried about, but it definitely conjured up images of Jaws as it went by me, its hulking shape becoming clearer as it swam by me and then disappeared into the depths with rhythmic twists of its body.”