There were clouds and you could see rain over the water in the distance. The water was a bit choppier as the tide was stronger than it had been before, which resulted in more sand movement and less visibility. I think I just had this awareness that something was off, today wasn't snorkeling conditions, but I was there and going to go through with it.
As I got in the water, my goggles broke. The strap part, beyond repair.
I was with two other guys but there wasn't an extra pair among us. Whatever. We started to swim. It worked out okay, I could see some fish but their colors weren't as vibrant as they would be with the sun out and overhead.
I came up every now and then, noticing how far we had gotten so easily. The current was so strong. We were about 300 yards out.
Then it happened.
I looked to my left and spotted fins about 20 yards away. When you're on land, and something is forty yards away, it seems a safe enough distance to make a get away. I learned that being in the water has a different effect.
As a side note, two or three weeks ago a huge great white was spotted off the north shore. I'd also recently read an NPR article on giant squid, pictures coming from squid caught off shore of Oahu. I don't think this kind of information was comforting to my subconscious.
I looked to my buddies and calmly, with petrified eyes, said "We have to go back. Now."
I haven't known these guys long, but I guess the one that heard and saw my face could tell I wasn't joking, and he booked it. He's a surfer, loves the water, but I guess he could tell this was a fight or flight situation.
I'm swimming and watching the fins, making sure I can still see them, and then I can't. I'm swimming harder.
My other buddy doesn't know what's going on but I don't want to freak him out, so I just say "fins". When we are about 100 yards from shore, I look over to see the fins arch. Funny. Sharks don't arch they're backs like that. But dolphins do.
I slow down. I make my way to shore.
I stand there, watching Flipper and his friends doing flips and having a grand ole time just being themselves.
I go back out. I still don't get to see what I wanted to in the first place. Not good snorkeling conditions, ya know? Only one friend accompanies me. We were pretty close to the dolphins, he says he heard them. I didn't.
Later on shore I processed what went through my mind as I thought I was literally swimming for my life. I had a spiritual moment, but before I saw the arch something in me, while scared shitless, was saying you're not dying this way.
So that's how I learned I probably won't die from a shark attack. If I ever encounter one though, I'd like to keep all my limbs and body parts. My body functions well that way.
Standing on shore I had the same feeling of regret as when I turned down Dog the Bounty Hunter for a job. I'm 0-2. Can't win for losing.
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