A Memorable Moment While Free Diving...

I happened to be sipping on a cold one while idly watching a television news channel the other day when a news report of a shark attack suddenly flashed up upon the screen.

Featured in that news report was a surfer who went on to describe his harrowing encounter with a sizable shark and of his good fortune of having emerged unscathed from that experience.

Also featured in that news account was the fellow's surfboard and of the large bite sized piece of fiberglass that was now missing.

All of which had me thinking back to a time and place when I too once had somewhat of a memorable shark encounter of my own.

For you see, it was while previously cruising aboard S/V BratCat and while at anchor in Little Farmers Key in the Exumas, Bahamas that I was invited by a local fisherman to accompany him for a day of free-diving on the offshore reefs.

Our agreement simply consisted of me assisting with the anchor lines and of any other sundry boating chores as requested. Also explained to me was that the first five lobsters that I might happen to spear would be his but any after that were mine to keep.

So it was when Hallan showed up early the next morning alongside of BratCat's hull in his large power boat propelled by two massively-sized outboard motors.

The low roar of those two powerful motors could be heard a mile away as that boat slowly approached. And It goes without saying that Hallan didn't have to bother knocking on the hull of my boat to announce his arrival either.

I had my gear ready when he arrived and was soon climbing aboard his boat after exchanging a few pleasantries. No sooner had I stepped aboard his boat when Hallan suddenly opened up the throttle causing that boat to immediately accelerate on out to the offshore reefs.

I in turn just as suddenly, found myself desperately looking out for something to grasp on to lest I be flung off the stern of the boat. In hindsight, a little forewarning would have been appreciated but that's a power boater for you.

Within but a few minutes we reach our first reef and I'm soon being instructed to drop an anchor and let out plenty of scope. In the meantime Hallan puts the boat into reverse thus ensuring that the anchor has snugly dug itself well into the sandy bottom.

It's yet another bright, beautiful, sunny morning in the Exumas as we both don our masks and fins in the cockpit of that boat. Hallan doesn't bother using a snorkel. I in turn do. Moments later we are both going over the sides and splashing into the water along with our Hawaiian slings.

The water is crystal clear and the bottom can be readily seen from the surface. Lobster feelers can be easily seen extending out from the crevices of the coral heads. Before long Hallan is expeditiously spearing one lobster after another.

No sooner would I spot a pair of feelers when Hallan would spot them as well and make a bee-line after them. I soon figured out that I had little chance of spearing any lobster of my own while following him around so I made it a point to look elsewhere from wherever he might be.

So that's how our morning went. There was little if any loitering going on at any one particular spot. We'd arrive at a reef... clear it out... and head off on over to the next reef. It soon became apparent to me that Hallan knew those offshore reefs like the back of his hands.

Occasionally Hallan would spear a grouper or some other fish. I in turn would spear an occasional lobster but not as many as to exceed the five that I'd previously agreed to fork over before I could claim any for myself.

But while diving on a reef at a depth of twenty-five feet or so, I happened to spot a large grouper lingering just inside a rocky crevice.

That ugly yet potentially tasty fish could have been nursing a hangover for all I know as it remained motionless beneath that coral ledge. Nevertheless I also happened to be in need of yet another breath of air at that moment and felt compelled to surface before making any attempt at spearing that lethargic fish.

So after slowly and methodically surfacing, while constantly equalizing the pressure exerted upon my eardrums, I paused at the surface long enough to fill my lungs full of air.

Unfortunately for me however, Hallan also happened to discover my grouper while I was up at the surface and proceeded to nonchalantly spear my grouper. In hindsight I gotta believe that he had a set of gills hidden behind his ears to compliment his scuba-tank type lungs for he seemed to be able to stay submerged forever.

Hallan could have easily passed for an NFL lineman for that's how big his arms and legs were. In addition he also had a massive girth belying his ability to dive.

In any event that big lug of a fish was obviously wounded and profusely bleeding for I could now see the water suddenly clouding up from where that fish must have been attempting to hide.

It took Hallan another two well-aimed stainless steel shanks to finally retrieve that mortally wounded grouper from deep inside that rocky crevice.

But it was on his third and final attempt at spearing that grouper that I happened to catch sight of a shark circling ever so slowly in the vicinity of Hallan.

Hallan was obviously completely oblivious to the presence of that shark when he too starts to surface. He's got his arm fully extended while gripping one end of the shank with the lifeless yet bleeding grouper resting upon the flanged tip at the other end.

It was then in but an instant that I suddenly see that shark speeding directly towards Hallan after but two swift swishes of its tail.

But at the very moment, I also happened to catch sight of yet another shark. Only that this one appeared to be speeding towards me whereupon I instinctively spun around and pointed my shank in its direction causing that frenzied shark to sharply veer off much to my good fortune.

A moment later I break the surface of the water and wait for Hallan to appear. Upon seeing him I immediately shout out to him while flashing two fingers... "Hallan!, Two Sharks"!! upon which he promptly shouts back, "I don't know about two but I know about one because he took my grouper"!!

After that brief exchange I immediately swam to the boat in what had to be a record time. I also seem to remember launching myself out of the water and into the cockpit in but an instant.

I wish I could tell you just what type and how big those sharks were but I didn't feel inclined to stick around any longer than I already had. Besides, if the truth me known, all sharks are bigger than they really are when one happens to be in the water along with them.

Hallan also immediately followed me into the boat. He did nevertheless wait a good ten minutes or so before venturing back into the water to retrieve a shank that had gotten left behind.

Needless to say, I was still quite rattled after that experience as I'm pulling up the anchor. Hallan on the other hand appeared to be completely composed and measured.

It was then that I suddenly blurted out a question, "Hallan... Did that scare you"? Whereupon he immediately turned to me, and with his eyes bulging out, he exclaimed, "It Scared the SH*T Out of Me"!

After a brief nervous laugh he went on to explain that only twice in his previous fifteen years of free-diving did he ever have a shark come after a fish that he had speared.

It later became somewhat routine for me to see a shark whenever I'd go free-diving in search of lobster. It also somehow got to the point that if I didn't happen to see one while free diving that I'd somehow been shortchanged out of a momentary adrenaline rush.

Thinking of Sharks after Indulging in a Snickers Chocolate-Peanut Butter Square...

One would only think that I would be sensible enough to avoid indulging in yet another one of those delectable yet totally decadent Snickers Chocolate-Peanut Butter Squares that recent taste forums convincingly suggest make oneself most appetizing to sharks.

But no, I couldn't help myself and once again found myself scarfing down yet another Snickers Square the other day only to later regret having possibly made myself more appetizing to you know who.

All of which had me thinking back to my cruising days aboard S/V BratCat and sailing throughout the Bahamas as well as reflecting upon a few impressionable shark incidences that are still embedded in my memory bank.

Well one such incident didn't involve me personally but was to occur while sailing from Nassau to Allan's Key in the northern Exumas. The weather couldn't have been more delightful that morning with brilliant blue skies and water to match. The steady winds and flat seas that perfect day also made for a most delightful four-hour sail.

The only prevailing concern while sailing those pristine waters that day was to keep a keen and vigilant eye out for what seemed to be more than just a few cylindrically shaped brown coral heads.

Well those treacherous coral heads seemingly lurking just beneath the surface of the water and randomly interspersed like explosive mines were nevertheless readily visible from a distance in the crystal clear blue waters that day.

It also goes without saying that any one of those lurking coral heads could have made for a bad day of sailing if one were to have had the misfortune of smacking into any one of these while under sail. But like I said, those coral heads were nevertheless readily visible and easily avoided that day.

All of which brings me back to the topic of sharks... while en route to Allan's Key, the staccato chop-chop-chop sound of helicopter blades could suddenly be heard slicing through the air all the while getting progressively louder off of S/V BratCat's stern.

It was then in but an instant that a brightly-colored orange U.S. Coast Guard helicopter could be seen flying low and fast. Its turbine engines were at full throttle as it flew directly above our mast while speeding off into the direction of our destination that by now had appeared as a shadow on the distant horizon.

Then what seemed like but a minute or two after touching down on that distant key, that aircraft was once again airborne. The staccato chop-chop-chop of the blades slicing through the air could once again be heard getting progressively louder only this time that chopper was flying low and fast and heading back to where it had come from.

Well I then turned to my then wife and commented the obvious... "I think something serious might have happened and someone might have had a mishap of sorts" or words to that effect.

Sure enough, after dropping an anchor off of Allan's Key later that afternoon and later going ashore the next morning, we were informed that a mishap had indeed happened the previous day.

It turns out that a female diver out of Marathon, Florida had had the misfortune of losing a hand to a shark. After free-diving and spearing a grouper, she had surfaced with the intent of handing over both her Hawaiian sling and speared grouper to a fellow diver patiently waiting inside their dinghy.

The speared grouper was to have then been placed in a bucket along with other bleeding fish and lobster that had already been speared by fellow divers.

Unfortunately upon extending her sling out of the water to her fellow diver securely aboard their dinghy, the grouper slid down along the shank of her sling coming to rest directly upon her hand.

It was then that a shark, that had been stealthily lurking nearby, swiftly went after the bleeding grouper thus snatching both the grouper and the diver's hand which the speared grouper had come to rest upon.

(Memo to self: Stop indulging in any Snickers Chocolate Peanut-Butter Squares and switch to Butterfingers...)

By the way... it occurs to me that both the U.S. Coast Guard and Police Officers have something in common. One would just as soon not see any of these fine public servants hanging around for fear of being subjected to a fine of sorts whether it be for not complying with a boat safety requirement or for a random traffic ticket.

But if one might happen to be in any sort of distress, whether one be on a boat or on some isolated roadside, then one is only too grateful to have them around to provide any needed assistance.

What can I say other than that I've had four speeding tickets over the years and that I deserved every one of them.

Lastly before concluding... I do apologize for making light of a most unfortunate incident. There but for the grace of "god" go I.



S/V BratCat somewhere near Georgetown, Exumas 1989.