(no subject)
Today in Panama... I tried surfing with a really short board in some choppy waves.
I'm no good at surfing, but thats not the point of the story. Since I only caught 2 waves and only managed to kneel on them, I enjoyed myself for a lot of the afternoon by sitting on the board and paddling around. I went out past all of the waves because who needs waves when you're not really surfing? It was beautiful and serene... To my left, a view of palm trees and friends on the white sand beach, and to my right, the expanse of the ocean. I was in a post card; turquoise waves and everything.
Just as I began to make my way to shore, I thought I saw a dark grey seal in the water. It was this dark shape, silhouetted by the next coming wave. Then I realized, "that probably isn't a seal because we're not in California anymore..." And upon closer investigation (we're talking less than 10 feet away for sure), I noticed some more angular parts... triangular apendages... you know, like a shark fin. So there you have it. And then I freaked out. I started screaming at this Irish girl I was surfing with. "Roisin, Get the fuck out of the water! I'm serious!!" Oh my god adrenaline. I don't know how we're still alive. Everyone on the beach was a bit skeptical because there aren't many sharks here on these lovely Panamanian Islands, but alas, I looked it up and I'm dead positive that I swam with a shark in my close midst.
It was an atlantic sharpnose shark. Look it up because I'm not savvy enough to include a picture here. The one I saw was about 5 feet long. For fuck's sake.
I'm no good at surfing, but thats not the point of the story. Since I only caught 2 waves and only managed to kneel on them, I enjoyed myself for a lot of the afternoon by sitting on the board and paddling around. I went out past all of the waves because who needs waves when you're not really surfing? It was beautiful and serene... To my left, a view of palm trees and friends on the white sand beach, and to my right, the expanse of the ocean. I was in a post card; turquoise waves and everything.
Just as I began to make my way to shore, I thought I saw a dark grey seal in the water. It was this dark shape, silhouetted by the next coming wave. Then I realized, "that probably isn't a seal because we're not in California anymore..." And upon closer investigation (we're talking less than 10 feet away for sure), I noticed some more angular parts... triangular apendages... you know, like a shark fin. So there you have it. And then I freaked out. I started screaming at this Irish girl I was surfing with. "Roisin, Get the fuck out of the water! I'm serious!!" Oh my god adrenaline. I don't know how we're still alive. Everyone on the beach was a bit skeptical because there aren't many sharks here on these lovely Panamanian Islands, but alas, I looked it up and I'm dead positive that I swam with a shark in my close midst.
It was an atlantic sharpnose shark. Look it up because I'm not savvy enough to include a picture here. The one I saw was about 5 feet long. For fuck's sake.