Don't play with it

***

What did I do this weekend?

Last week was midterms and I only had one midterm, the Monday, so I was home the rest of the week. I went to school a day to work on a group project, attended my old school sports and then... Friday I went to the beach amongst other things.

The most hilarious thing happened. I love kayaking on Grand Anse. So... I did what I always do --- go kayaking with a friend. We got as far as the jetty down by the Coconut restaurant, lengthwise along the beach, but we were a decent distance away from the shore. Mind you, I only recently got over my fear of the ocean. The water was kinda rough and the sky was overcast so you couldn't see clearly to the bottom... But that was fine because I'm now fearless of the water remember? I couldn't be bothered if my kayak toppled over or not.

So we're there kayaking away, feeling at one with the ocean and all that jazz. See me well passing my hand through the water and all, commenting on how oddly warm it feels. So my friend tells me that its typical for the water to be warm on days when the weather was like that. 

Then, because of my recent courses I'm more cognizant about birds when I see them, and I point out a seagull on a boat. I've never gotten a chance to see one that close, just perched for my perusal or perhaps I never cared that much before... Nuntheless, I was fascinated. 

However, what happened consequently was the complete opposite. To my "Oh look! Over there!" my friend responded "Oh, you saw the fin too?!"

Umm... I saw what? So I ask, 'Fin? As in shark fin???'

To which he gleefully responds, 'Yes! There it is again! Don't you see it? It's right by the boat... Let's go closer...!'

Let's do what???? I was too busy looking at the bird on the boat to see any fin. Stupes. And there went off my friend paddling away to get closer. I'm thinking he's crazy. If it is a shark. Why are you going towards it? I ask him... He says he wants to touch it and he's never seen one in person. 

You have got to be kidding me. We're pretty far from shore - probably about 30-40 ft. away -- far enough to see bodies but not recognize faces. I can't see the bottom where we were, it's dark blue. And you're paddling frantically towards what you believe is a shark?

Shellon does what she thinks is the safest thing. Abandon the crazy person and head back to shore. The irony is that all the time I was paddling I didn't realize how huge the swells of water were. Then again I wasn't paddling against the waves as I now was. My adrenaline is pumping, I'm trying to stay calm and all I'm thinking is 'Don't turn over... Don't turn over... Stay calm... Don't turn over... Don't think about the possibility of the shark being right under you coming to bump you from below...' Every single shark movie I've ever seen, including 'Open water' is coming to mind... I'm trying to paddle strong single strokes so that if it is a shark, my actions don't appear excitable to it. I make it in close enough to shore to be about 10 ft away or less from a man that's standing waist deep in water... and pondering if to continue going in even though it means I'll have to drag the kayak back down to the far end of the beach...

My friend now realizes I'm no longer with him and calls out to me informing me that whatever it was it's gone now, and not to worry because if it was a shark it would be a great white or tiger shark and those like warm waters. This is to reassure me how? First of all, based on my research, tiger sharks are typically found in the Caribbean and are champion for being found in surprisingly shallow water and are known for being aggressive. Great whites bite because they mistake you for prey, Tiger sharks bite you because they want to. Furthermore, isn't 'trying to touch the shark' considered a provoked attack?

Well... he was able to convince me it was gone eventually and persuade me into thinking that perhaps it was the manta ray that resides on Grand Anse because when they turn you see the fin above surface. But he himself said that if it was, he should've at least been able to see the shadow.

Honestly, I didn't see anything. Perhaps there was nothing at all and it was just a mistaken wave. Furthermore, I haven't heard of anyone getting bitten by sharks in Grenada... and all of my research via Google doesn't have any attacks or fatalities listed as occurring within the Caribbean.

Nuntheless, that was enough sea adventure for one day for me. We paddled back down the beach, and of course, I stayed relatively close to the shore.

I know, I know. I wrote about having mercy on the sharks just a couple days ago. However, it's a completely different story when you're in the situation. Yes I still say, 'Save the sharks' but I shall petition and picket from the beach - thank you very much.

***

End of story.

Shelli out.