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Open water and open minds

Experiencing first hand the world of sharks and learning to share the water with them

By Summer PattersonPublished 4 years ago 9 min read
2

The year is 2000, I'm 5 years old and I just watched the iconic film "JAWS" starring a ravenous Great White shark, out for cold blood. Killing everyone and everything in it's path, leaving destruction in it's wake. Being a young and impressionable native Floridian, this movie really shook me to the core, and it took years for me to recover from the stigma that this movie (and so many others) had created. The media's portrayal of sharks and their insatiable appetite had done it's part in keeping me out of the oceans for quite some time.

Fast forward to a 12 year old girl, deeply scared of the ocean, but desperately wanting to learn how to surf. I had to search deep inside my soul to find a blind courage to overcome this fear, finally being able to give surfing a fair shot. It was a slow process, every trip to the beach was another opportunity to embrace bravery and venture just a little further into the water. Accidentally stepping on a couple stingrays in the process caused a few minor setbacks, luckily there were no injuries, but it was a part of the process.

I started to understand that the ocean wasn't scary, it was misunderstood. It was mysterious, and beautiful and I was ready to conquer my fear. A good friend of mine offered to teach me the art of surfing, and I remember going through the initial briefing I kept thinking about the possibility of encountering a shark, and it made my heart absolutely race. I was ready to back out, but I pushed myself. I remember the first time I paddled out past the breaks on my board. I was sitting on top of the ocean, just existing. Caught between the shore and the horizon, I felt like I was on top of the world. It was probably the most at peace I have ever been, and I think in that moment I really started to develop the love I have now for the ocean, and all of it's creatures.

This isn't about surfing though, this is about an almost spiritual journey to understanding the beauty of something that's often viewed as evil and terrifying. We're talking about the world of Selachimorpha, commonly known as sharks!

I recently had the amazing opportunity to dip my toes into shark territory and experience these predatory yet fragile creatures in their own natural habitat. I got to see a side of sharks that no one has the opportunity to even try to understand or appreciate. Let me take you on a virtual journey to discover this new world.

I had researched many vessels and charters that specialize in going on these dives, and wanted to make sure that I found the right one. Thank God for social media and things like Instagram, because a few years ago I came across a gentleman by the name of Ryan Walton. Following Ryan for the last couple years I came to really admire and appreciate his love for the ocean and for sharks especially. Every day he posts the highlights of the daily dive and it became something I would look forward to. He was always filled with so much passion and excitement and it was clear that Shark tours FL were the way to go.

I gathered my little sister and my best friend and we set out for West Palm FL. The morning of the dive it was easy for us to wake up, bright eyed and bushy tailed. The alarm went off at 6:45, I got up and made a cup of some robust hotel coffee and stared out the window of our 4th floor room, out into the road thinking about how my morning was about to go. The other ladies got up and we all were filled with such excitement and our anxiety was starting to build too, but in a good way. We gathered our things and made our way downstairs to check out of the hotel and grab some breakfast.

We finally made our way out of the hotel and we headed to the marina where we would meet up with Ryan and the rest of the crew, Kaitlyn, and Hayden. As we got there, it was all smiles. We walked up, snorkel gear in hand, GoPro strapped, charged and ready to record. We were ready. We kept saying "I can't believe it's finally time." We get into the boat, introduce ourselves to everyone, shake a few hands, and it's time to set out for the sweet spot. The weatherman didn't give the most honest of forecasts as it was way choppier than expected and the ride definitely reflected that but we all had a fun time. The flying fish were also having a ball and it was fun seeing them flutter just above the waves as we zipped past them in the boat.

During the drive to the spot, Kaitlyn gave us a briefing on swimming safety, rules while you're in the water (for your safety and for the sharks), and a brief explanation to some information about some of the sharks we might be seeing while in the water. This is the moment I just sat and looked out into the water and realized I was about to jump into a world I used to have nightmares about. I couldn't have been more excited.

We finally make it!! I look at my girls and we are all beaming. My friend Olivia looks at my sister and I and says "We're about to do the damn thing, ladies." The swells were wild and the water was everything but calm. We managed to get our suits on, and we are working towards the back of the boat where we will enter into the water. We fumble with the masks and snorkels and place them comfortably on our faces, then we put on the flippers. Making a few last minute adjustments I check the GoPro strapped to my chest, I press my mask against my face, and tighten the straps on my flippers and wait for the "OK" to roll backwards off the boat and into the water. The other side of the boat went first, my girl Olivia was the first of our friends to go in and I could tell she was beyond stoked. They get to the designated snorkel area and it's our turn. I grabbed my sister's hand and we look at each other and nod our heads.

I fall backwards off the side of the boat, let go of my sister's hand and begin to find my bearings. I manage to center myself and I pushed the water through my snorkel, and fixed my mask. It was weird to think about how freely I was able to just exist in the middle of the ocean. No walls to contain me, no bottom for 100+ feet below me, and the sky was the literal limit. I've never felt more alive to be honest. I've finally adjusted myself comfortably and start to make my way over to the designated area. The moment I looked underwater through my mask I saw a bull shark swimming so close to me I could reach out and touch it. I won't lie, I was startled and said a few choice words through my snorkel because I wasn't prepared to see something so close right from the jump.

I can honestly say that nothing prepares you for these kinds of moments. Even if you know exactly what you're getting yourself into, you know what you're going to be around, you're never quite prepared. My anxiety started to flare a little when I realized how many sharks were around me. You could see them in the distance against the dark blue, and their shape was a gray silhouette. I just had to remember that I was ok, and that I just needed to relax. From that moment I just allowed the ebb and flow to carry me wherever, and I folded my arms against my body and just watched the sharks.

It was intense watching them come from all different directions. I was trying to pay attention to all angles, but it came as no surprise that it was impossible to have eyes on all the sharks at once. Some of them came a little too close and I used my fin as a barrier between us, careful not to push the shark and startle it in any way, or I'd do my best to maneuver in a way that it wouldn't bump into me. Getting brushed by the tail a couple times was definitely a rush. You know that feeling you get when you're wading in the water at the beach and something brushes your leg, and you wonder if it's a shark? Imagine that feeling, knowing it's a shark, even if it's not taking a bite out of you, it's enough to send a chill down your spine.

We were in and out of the water for a few hours, and when it was time to finally head back to the dock, it really hit me what I had just done. It was by far the most beautiful experience I've ever been a part of, including the sea sickness shared by a few of the guests ( I managed to avoid the sickness thankfully). Headed back to the dock was a way easier boat ride than the trip out to sea. We're working our way out of our wetsuits and gear and grinning from ear to ear, talking about the sharks we encountered. I'll hold those sharks in my heart forever, especially the bull shark we encountered with a broken jaw. She's seen in the photo below with the long fishing leader trailing beside her.

"Bullma" the bull shark, as I have deemed her.

All in all, what I want people to get from this blog is that sharks are misunderstood creatures that deserve a chance. I wrote this blog, and put these videos together to try and help people see that sharks aren't mindless man eaters, as they're portrayed by the media. They're beautiful animals, and they deserve their spot on this planet. Ryan and his team at Shark Tours FL are dedicated to teaching people from all walks of life about the world of sharks. Getting onto Ryan's boat I already knew that I loved sharks, and I knew I was ready to dive into their world, but I never thought I'd love them even more than before. I HIGHLY recommend Sharktoursfl.com if you're looking to share this experience as well. It's worth every penny, and you will never experience anything like this again.

Thank you so much to Ryan Walton, and his team for the amazing experience, and thank you Chelsea Black for sharing your footage and photos with me, and for being a great snorkel buddy.

As a footnote, I will conclude this blog with the hope that someone will read this and it will strike their curiosity and they too will fall in love with these amazing creatures.

Please do not kill sharks, don't eat shark, and don't feed into the stigma that surrounds these animals.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my experience.

wild animals
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About the Creator

Summer Patterson

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  • Friendly Fox 11 months ago

    Great job on this piece! Lots of pertinent research to help educate those about a highly misunderstood animal. Looking forward to reading more of your work.

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