Dangers and Good Times

Galapagos sharks are bold and have behaved aggressively towards humans, and are thus regarded as dangerous.

Warnings are things that are best heeded especially when you have a bad back and are in your 40's. Back in my younger days, I enjoyed getting the ultimate high by doing dangerous things for fun. That all changed the day I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. I have slowed down somewhat....so I thought.

Seeing sharks in an aquarium is cool. Having the chance to see them up close is a lifelong dream. How many nights have I watched National Geographic specials with divers in cages studying sharks and thought...wouldn't that be cool?

So here I was up at 4 a.m. on Friday and boarding a bus for the ride to the north shore of Oahu with mask and snorkel in hand and carrying a beach towel.

We left Waikiki at 6:30 a.m. and got to the harbor at about 8:25 a.m.-a few minutes behind schedule because The Bus driver had to make a rest stop at a gas station and then decided to do a little shopping. She dropped us off and pointed towards the harbor and said, "Go that way."

Nervous that we missed our check in, we hurried to the harbor looking for some kind of office. Nothing. We kept walking and saw a small boat pull into a slip and lo and behold it was North Shore Shark Adventures pulling in after its first customer run of the day.

As the people came off boat I asked them what they thought and all said it had been great. They all looked very wet and cold. We also found out that the ocean was warm. That was a concern because it had been raining off and on all morning.

Anyway we waited for some other people to arrive and then were off on our adventure heading to a spot three miles out in the ocean to meet the sharks and the cage. The ocean wasn't rough but it wasn't glass either so the boat was tossing around a little bit. Finally we reached the cage and the captain pulled the boat up next to it.

 As we sat anxiously awaiting our chance to get in the water, the captain explained that we would be seeing Galapagos Reef sharks. He also said there would be no chumming in the water as the sharks were used to the area fisherman throwing bait into the water and they fed off of that. So, he explained that a boat's motor would attract them.

As we peered over the edge of the boat, we could barely make out dark shapes  nearing the boat and we all got excited.

The captain divided us up into four groups and asked who wajted to go in first...there was silence. Then some people volunteered, put on their masks and snorkels and climbed into the cage. For those who purchased a souvenir video, crew members threw a colorful float i the wtar to attract the sharks for the underwater camera.

As a second group entered the water, I prepared my snorkel and mask. A few minutes later, one man came out of the water saying he had been stung on the arm by a jelly fish. The captain sprayed Jelly Fish juice on him.

 Then it was my turn to enter the water. I stepped over the side of the boat.Took a big step down and was in the cage. The waves started pushing me forward into te side of the cage so I grabbed the side and started to inch my way around the edge. It was when I got on the opposite wall that I noticed the stinging sensation on the top of my right foot. I waited for a minute deciding whether or not to get out. I chose to stay in and a few minutes later Autumn got in. We dove down and watched as the sharks swan only a few feet from the cage and at times came within inches of the bars. Autumn got out and I soon found myself alone. I spent several minutes by myself watching them watch me. It was fabulous. I was even able to get a couple of pictures.

When I finally got out of the cage, I was sore from banging around against the sides but it was worth it. I told the captain about being stung and he sprayed it with Jelly Fish juice. I sat wondering if I would be able to wear my shoe over the area that ahd been stung. By the time we got back to the dock, I had made my decision and wore my shoes back to the hotel.

The red marks from the jelly fish.

We got back to the hotel, showered and got ready for our last event on the island. After an hour of rest, we headed to another hotel for our pickup bus that would take us to a luau.

As it was rush hour, our ride lasted about an hour and got off and were greeted with leis and Mai Tai's. A great way to start the night.

As the night began, we found our chairs at the table and then wandered around looking at all the arts and crafts. We attended an island fishing ceremony called a Hukilau, watched someone climb a Coconut tree and tried our hands at making leis.

Another fruity drink and we found ourselves practicing the art of throwing spears. Hmm.. not much luck on my part..Good thing I don't have to defend my family. I'm a writer...

Then it was dinner and show with traditional Hawaiian music. We ate and clapped and met some great people.

And before we knew it, the night and our trip was over. We returned to the hotel to pack and sleep. We were up at 3 a.m. to catch a 4:15 a.m. shuttle for an ealry morning flight home.

Aloha