Where's Bruce?
WKR
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2013
- Messages
- 6,389
I was freediving near the Revillagigedos off Baja (before they closed it) hoping to shoot a big tuna. It was a nice day, very calm and warm water, I was relaxed and heard (and felt) the sounds of nearby porpoise conversation in the water. The sound passed through my body like a vibration, it was so cool. I’d take some deep breaths, drop to about 60’ and hang there doing slow motion donuts hoping to see a yellowfin. Then I’d surface, catch my breath and repeat. I had been relaxing for a bit and about to head back down when it happened. I was suddenly commanded to "Turn around! Turn around NOW!!!" I spun around to see a large tiger shark 10 feet away from my fintips, his gastly mouth wide open. I watched (with my comically small speargun pointed at the huge predator) as he turned slightly and sunk into the blue haze out of sight. His huge black eyes looked right through my soul. I dunno if it was God or my Guardian Angel that silently yelled at me that day but I'm fairly certain it was the brown stain in the water that prevented me from becoming snack food. The 15 minutes it took to get the boat operator's attention to come get me out of the water aged me a decade. I kept watching beneath me...swimming in circles expecting to see that massive mouth rise up...but it never did.
I tried spearfishing a dozen or more times after that but my comfort in the water had died. I wasn't "one with the ocean anymore" and just on high alert which adversely impacted my breath-holding abilities. My dives were much shallower. I took up fishing.
Then one day we were fishing the Cortez Bank and got into a crazy stupid bluefin bite...they ate everything we threw at them...even strips of towels covered in bait scales and blood. If it slapped the water, it was hit instantly. The private boater has swim fins, face masks w/ snorkels and spearguns on board and said, "If you still wanna shoot a tuna, here's your chance." My buddy and I looked at each other and started stripping. As we're on the swim step rinsing the spit out of our facemasks before dropping in, the Captain standing behind us puts his hands on our shoulders and says, "Not today boys." We both look at him like WTF?! He points to the water directly astern...large hammerheads are going back and forth right under us. I took it as an omen. That was the last time I put a facemask on.
For decades I was a big mouth and when people would ask me if I wasn't afraid of sharks I'd say, "Better to be hit by an 18 foot shark than an 18 wheel truck, at least people will remember you." Yeah...all that bravado went right out my ass when I was 10' from a tiger. I am full of anxiety just writing about it. I think this is the first time I put it in writing. Those fifteen minutes in the water immediately after this close encounter were pure stress. I was sure I was gonna be eaten alive.
I tried spearfishing a dozen or more times after that but my comfort in the water had died. I wasn't "one with the ocean anymore" and just on high alert which adversely impacted my breath-holding abilities. My dives were much shallower. I took up fishing.
Then one day we were fishing the Cortez Bank and got into a crazy stupid bluefin bite...they ate everything we threw at them...even strips of towels covered in bait scales and blood. If it slapped the water, it was hit instantly. The private boater has swim fins, face masks w/ snorkels and spearguns on board and said, "If you still wanna shoot a tuna, here's your chance." My buddy and I looked at each other and started stripping. As we're on the swim step rinsing the spit out of our facemasks before dropping in, the Captain standing behind us puts his hands on our shoulders and says, "Not today boys." We both look at him like WTF?! He points to the water directly astern...large hammerheads are going back and forth right under us. I took it as an omen. That was the last time I put a facemask on.
For decades I was a big mouth and when people would ask me if I wasn't afraid of sharks I'd say, "Better to be hit by an 18 foot shark than an 18 wheel truck, at least people will remember you." Yeah...all that bravado went right out my ass when I was 10' from a tiger. I am full of anxiety just writing about it. I think this is the first time I put it in writing. Those fifteen minutes in the water immediately after this close encounter were pure stress. I was sure I was gonna be eaten alive.
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