And in this corner of the ring....(posting from the road)

While I am sad that scuba diving is not an option from our boat the daily snorkel excursions certainly help alleviate my malaise. The islands of the Galapagos are impressive – but the underwater marine reserve is astounding.

There are 5 main types of sharks that snorkelers have the potential to “run into” – the Black Tip Reef, Bull, Tiger, Galapagos and White Tip Reef shark. Of these the ONLY one that is completely safe is the white tip reef, the remainder all have a fairly consistent track record of nibbling on humans in confusion. To date we have seen a 2.5 m black tip reef shark and a 2 m Galapagos shark from the boat – so I am well aware of their presence.

We were instructed at the sight of the shark to simply swim to the rocks and get out of the water or head to the safety boat that generally accompanies us – unless it was a white tip – then enjoy the water.

(To clarify I do NOT want to see a shark. I have swum and dove with them previously – experience is already checked off the bucket list and in locations with far safer conditions. )

Anyway, back to my tale. Obviously as the thought scrolled through my mind I looked out into the blue abyss and clearly saw the telltale sway of the shark’s swim. I popped my head out of the water and yelled “shark” in an attempt to alert my fellow snorkelers. As I swam backwards towards the rock and peered under water, the shark became marginally clearer...”white tip...I think”, I called out.

“Did you get a photo?” Are they serious, did I get a photo? “Nope, busy trying to save myself” I reply as I continue to paddle towards the rock -against the throngs of fellow snorkelers who are heading out to the area the shark was last spotted. I clarified with everyone that I only saw the shark for a minute and I think it was a white tip...I am hardly Jacques Cousteau when it comes to identifying creatures under the sea. I was astounded that people were making a life and death decision off my fleeting glimpse...especially considering I need glasses for effective distance viewing.

As I treaded in the shallower rock water, the other more daring snorkelers circled around the deeper water, desperately peering in for any signs of the predatory fish. “I can’t see a shark”, “There’s nothing here”, “What shark?” Their comments filtered back to me along with accusatory glances...well I know what I saw...in the distance...with poor vision.

I slipped back under water, silently stewing. Of course the shark wouldn’t be in the same spot! Well let them search, I am going to stay here close to the rock and enjoy the pretty fish – serves them right if someone got gnawed on.

I felt an ominous current wash over me and I slowly looked straight ahead – there swimming directly at me was the shark. All I could see was the mouth and all the teeth, the identifier fins were out of sight. I quickly calculated with my panic stricken brain that there was no time to swim to the rocks...and delved into the recesses of my memory to little tidbits of shark week knowledge that I have tucked away.

Punch him in the nose. I remember hearing that if a shark is about to attack you, you should punch him in the nose. While this seemed like a rather stupid idea considering the proximity of teeth to nose, it was my only option. So I cocked my arm back, poised and ready to lash out and teach this shark a lesson at the precise moment. Have you ever punched under water...even Tyson would have difficulty landing an effective beating – I just hoped it would be annoying enough to cause the shark to move on.

I honestly felt like he was approaching in slow motion as I floated there with my punching arm all ready to go, keeping eye contact...and then...he swam right by me, slowing long enough to give me a disgusted glance. I am not sure if my lame attempts at offense irritated him or my mere presence. One thing I did learn from this was that with my reduced vision and the sharks ability to be sneaky...I may need to swim with my arms stretched out ahead of me...in full ramming motion at all times.

(a few of the photos are from a different snorkeling time - same type of shark)