Sharks of the Seas

"Wow! I can't believe we've gone this far. We've already gone farther than we should have gone. It's not as if we weren't warned. They told us to be wary at all times and to only venture forth when the coast was clear. Will they give us trouble?" Echo mused.

"If you ignore them, you'll usually be fine. However, it's best to avoid them totally if you want to survive and remain uninjured," remarked Commander Rand.

"Are we talking about sharks with fins or sharks with agendas?" Echo asked.

"Both, really. But the ones most likely to injure you purposely are the ones walking on two legs. It's a jungle out there, Echo. Loan sharks. Pool sharks at the billiards tables. Politics. Courts. Greedy business people. Hairless beach apes some call them. I'd rather face a hungry Tiger shark than those surfacing in the backwaters of society.

"If you are ever watching CPO Sharkey and there is a knock on the door, don't answer it if the reply to "Who is it?" is "Candygram." followed by silence," added Commander Rand, laughing aloud.

"What?" Echo wondered, bemused.

"Oh, you young pups don't get any of the good references. SNL! Everybody watched it those first few years. Groundbreaking comedy, including the Landshark skits."

"Okay, I'll watch the SNL skits with you after this trip if it'll make you happy, Commander." Echo acquiesced.

"It will. And, I dare say you'll enjoy it," said Rand, a smile beaming ear to ear. She loves to watch the original seasons of SNL and can't wait to share the laughs.

"How much longer until we reach the dive area, Commander?" Echo inquired, ready to get in the water and see some real sharks instead of exercise their jaws sharing double-talk about the dangerous nature of two-legged predatory land dwellers. She had expected to see some Galapagos and Dusky sharks in the waters of the Bermuda Triangle, but Tropical Storm named Jabberjaw had delayed them for three days. When did they start naming storms after cartoon characters, anyway, she wondered silently? As it was, the storm hadn't completely passed, but this area was forecast to remain calm enough for the boat to reach their destination and give them about 3 hours tour time in and on the water.

"Ten minutes to the anchor location, Echo. Get ready and we'll be in the water immediately while the crew handles the boat and equipment. Check to be sure we have everything."

"Have everything? Are you kidding? Any more equipment and you're gonna need a bigger boat, Commander."

They reached the anchor point and immediately finished preparations to dive. Wetsuits, fins, weight belts, buoyancy control devices, tanks, regulators, masks, snorkels. All their equipment was checked and ready. Splash, splash. They were over the side of the Minnow and in the water searching for sharks. Their hope was to discover the pupping grounds of the Dusky sharks often seen here. Descending 42 feet, Commander Rand pointed at a break in the reef another 20 feet below them. The new radio system made communication while diving much easier. In fact, they were able to converse almost as clearly as they had been on the boat.

"We will swim through that break in the reef and see if there are any sharks on the other side. I see some small fish moving around that could attract the big ones we want to see."

"Oh, this is beautiful," exclaimed Echo as she reached the other side of the reef and gazed at the myriad of life all around her.

"Dusky sharks coming toward us! Amazing to see them in this habitat!

"I don't want to believe people still kill them for nothing more than their fins," Commander Rand said sadly.

"If only they could see them here in their home waters, I think they would change their minds. I hope the video footage we are making reaches enough people to make a difference and save some of these beautiful creatures. I don't want Shark Week to become a memorial service," lamented Echo.

"Let's see if we can record some courtship or feeding behavior, Echo. We need some positive press for them. The Earth's web of life heavily depends on these creatures alive and well doing their part to maintain balance and healthy seas."

"I'm getting some good footage of these two, Commander. I think we caught them near prime breeding season. Nothing but Dusky sharks here, but I'm glad we haven't run into one of those hungry Tigers you were taking about earlier."

"Check your air. I think we have enough footage for this dive and we need to surface and check the weather. I have a feeling we could get some backlash storm action. We only had a small window of time."

"It's a wrap. I'm right behind you, Commander."

They surfaced in rough seas, barely able to see the diving boat. Fortunately, the captain had heard their plan to surface and headed toward them immediately. He knew they had only a little time to board and return to the safety of Port Nautilus. The resurgent storm would hit this area soon. They boarded quickly and stowed the cameras and other gear as the captain turned to port and aimed the bow toward shore. The storm surge brought bait fish to the surface and sharks followed! They secured the boat and dashed toward shelter along the pier as another surge seemed to chase them toward the beach. A rare funnel formed and gathered speed as it neared the pier. Some small fish dropped onto the planks around them, among them a couple of yearling Tigers and a juvenile Dusky.

"Can you believe that!?!" exclaimed Commander Rand. "We really witnessed a Sharknado!"

"Yeah, right," said Echo, rolling her eyes. "Who is going to believe it? Except you and your Landshark fan club? The cameras weren't rolling."

"Next time we'll have twice as many cameras including a remote-controlled live deck camera to catch the surface action. We will see about getting that bigger boat.

"I'd better stop before this tale jumps the shark," Commander Rand laughed.

"Aaayyy, I got that reference," Echo smiled, thinking of happy days ahead.