Close Call

Caitlin typed this via Skype:

(Some info you need to know – not only are they doing ant eradication but they are also doing a marine survey counting fish)

 

“When I got up, I watered the garden and then found Steve to discuss the Marine Survey situation. Steve thought that it was a good time to go, so we walked over the Camp Reef only to find coral sticking out of the water.  Clearly it was way too low tide to do the survey.  I suggested we head to South Beach to try that transect.  It was better.  We also brought along Colin and Kyle who ended up snorkeling on their own.  Steve led the charge and I played snorkel buddy.  It was clear when we got in that it was super murky water (no reverse pun intended).  It was really hard to see Steve.  I was following him, and then I would lose him.  Only all I had to do was look out of the water and see him ten feet ahead of me.  His fins are blue so I think I may put some pink duct tape on the bottom so I can see him in the water. 

 

As Steve would write something on the clip board the waves would turn him out to sea. And when Steve was done writing, he would start kicking…out to sea.  I had to pull his fin to tell him he was off course. 

 

We finally hit the pipe in the water and started to head back. After about two minutes of swimming I got this weird feeling.  I turned around to find a Black Tip Reef Shark about a foot and a half from me.  He scared the shit out of me.  I have never been that close and I have always seen them coming.  Never just having one already be there.  I turned to face him, aligning my body upright in the water and stared at him.  He was about four and half to five feet long.  After just a moment, I saw him start to move his tail to swim closer to me.  I kicked my fin up towards his face, hit him in the face, and I have never seen anything move so fast.  He was gone in a flash.  Super cool.  I turned around and pulled on Steve’s fin to tell him about the shark.  All he asked was where he was.  I told him, he looked, didn’t see him.  I asked if he was ready to keep going to shore, he said, “Yep.”  I kept looking behind me to see if the shark had come back.  On the way back in, I grabbed some dead coral to propel myself over this really tall coral mound and I cut my index finger.  I looked down at to see a pretty good stream of blood coming from it.  I turned around so fast to see if the shark was there.  It was a total embarrassing Jaws moment.  Glad no one was there to see it.  I ended up just holding my finger wound shut (just in case) as I swam into shore.”

 

She can’t update her blog from the island so we’ll update it when she sends us new stories! She says it’s super hot there!