I went snorkeling one morning in the clear waters of the Gulfo de Dulce as it greets the vast Pacific. I saw some great fish that day including a Parrot fish that was as big as a VW.
That was quite astounding until I saw the barrel chested Tiger that was 13 feet if an inch. I was mesmerized for the moment. The stripes blend in exactly like the wavelets it travels under. He seemed uninterested in me because I did not look like his normal food. I came to my senses and quickly left the water. I still see this shark in my dreams.
After work at Scripps, I'd go surfing early in the morning to beat the crowds. I'd drive all the way to Oceanside where the power plant is dispensing warm water. There is an estuary where the small fry get their start before venturing into the ocean environs. It was a foggy morning and cold for April. The waves were well formed and challenging.
During my patient wait for the right wave near the estuary there was a giant swirl of water not ten feet from me. I could see the dorsal fin of a Great White moving away. This was no small shark but a killer of people who surf at the wrong time of the day. I learned this lesson and never returned to that spot again.
I liked to walk in the rain in Hawaii along the shore of Hilo Bay when I was in my 20's. This spot is beyond the Fish Market. Everybody knows this Fish Market. I had just arrived in Hilo from the West Coast and wanted to get around and see things.
I liked to walk in the rain in Hawaii along the shore of Hilo Bay when I was in my 20's. This spot is beyond the Fish Market. Everybody knows this Fish Market. I had just arrived in Hilo from the West Coast and wanted to get around and see things.
There is a small Heiu with a Buddhist statue on an island. It is so charming to the eye. I jumped up on the low wall along the serpentine roadway around the little bay. I was whistling and singing to myself hardly noticing my surroundings.. The hairs stood up on my neck. I knew something was watching me. I whirled around to see a huge shark rolling up on his side to eyeball me for dinner just a few feet away. He had the blood line from his dorsal fin to his tail.
The passing tour bus was full of Japanese gesturing to me about this menace. I just smiled and carried on. The man in the grey suit came and went.
That bloodline is common among pelagic fish. Being cold blooded and sun dependent the blood is heated as he breaks the surface of the water. In addition the dorsal fin is very well vasculated to catch the heat from the sun.
I was walking the beach on Palmyra Atoll in the Line Islands. The fairy terns are constantly hovering overhead because you are the very first human they have seen. I've even had them land on my out stretched out finger. I stopped by the fast flowing channel. I had my dive mask with me. I stood in ankle deep water and bent over to take a look.
That bloodline is common among pelagic fish. Being cold blooded and sun dependent the blood is heated as he breaks the surface of the water. In addition the dorsal fin is very well vasculated to catch the heat from the sun.
I was walking the beach on Palmyra Atoll in the Line Islands. The fairy terns are constantly hovering overhead because you are the very first human they have seen. I've even had them land on my out stretched out finger. I stopped by the fast flowing channel. I had my dive mask with me. I stood in ankle deep water and bent over to take a look.
What I saw was extraordinary. A herd of buffalo fish easily 75 lbs each were making their way around the colorful coral heads. Suddenly, a Mako appeared in the distance. He saw me and rushed up to where I was standing. I quickly stepped back at the appropriate time as the thing swirled strongly by me. I just shook it off. I was grateful for the opportunity to have that experience up close and personal.
Mentioning that incident with the Tiger shark is a significant encounter. It is worth telling more than once. I was diving at the mouth of the Golfo de Dulce in the morning which is a bad time because these sharks use early morning light and shadow to ambush prey. They hover just below the surface. Thus, their stripes blend in with the wavelets on the surface hiding this creature. It then waits until the eyes have passed and are looking forward before it makes its move. This is a sudden explosion of effort. The victim whether fish or human does not stand a chance. Even if you are armed and dangerous, it only takes a few seconds before you are disabled and helpless before the final attack which comes more slowly. He will let you bleed to death first.
Mentioning that incident with the Tiger shark is a significant encounter. It is worth telling more than once. I was diving at the mouth of the Golfo de Dulce in the morning which is a bad time because these sharks use early morning light and shadow to ambush prey. They hover just below the surface. Thus, their stripes blend in with the wavelets on the surface hiding this creature. It then waits until the eyes have passed and are looking forward before it makes its move. This is a sudden explosion of effort. The victim whether fish or human does not stand a chance. Even if you are armed and dangerous, it only takes a few seconds before you are disabled and helpless before the final attack which comes more slowly. He will let you bleed to death first.
Two divers are swimming in shark infested waters. What do you do? Brian told me this ...you slash your buddy and make for the surface. Typical Canadian dark humor.
We would fish for sharks under the Rigolets Bridge when the tide was changing. This narrow channel connects Lake Pontchartrain and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The rush of water is intense. Everything in the lake gets flushed out in this torrent.
We would fish for sharks under the Rigolets Bridge when the tide was changing. This narrow channel connects Lake Pontchartrain and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The rush of water is intense. Everything in the lake gets flushed out in this torrent.
The Great Whites that come from the Gulf Stream found this feeding spot eons ago. Fishing at the right moment is important. Using a live mullet or croaker is the best bait for these giants. We were fishing for Tulane Research who would take these sharks and study them for all sorts of medical anomalies like tumors. Sharks don't get cancer. This consideration is important to solving the enigma of that disease. We hooked something big. He readily came up. Our craft was only 15' long. When he breached the surface we were amazed to see a shark much longer than the runabout we were in. I grabbed the wire cutters and cut through the stainless steel leader. With a flip of his tail he sunk into the depths.
When I was younger, I could dive 60 feet to the bottom of the ocean on a single breath. As you age you slowly lose that skill. I never smoked or drank alcohol but kept myself fit. Now that I am retired and living on a fixed income it is really difficult to maintain that physical stamina. Slowly entropy takes over. The elasticity starts packing up and moving to better pastures like your belly in the form of a spare tire. Even though I breathe deeply each day and run through a program it is difficult to stay fit.
When I was younger, I could dive 60 feet to the bottom of the ocean on a single breath. As you age you slowly lose that skill. I never smoked or drank alcohol but kept myself fit. Now that I am retired and living on a fixed income it is really difficult to maintain that physical stamina. Slowly entropy takes over. The elasticity starts packing up and moving to better pastures like your belly in the form of a spare tire. Even though I breathe deeply each day and run through a program it is difficult to stay fit.
Protein is the key. Good solid protein in an easily assimilated form like protein shakes. Lots and lots of nutrients like the trace elements which are difficult to come by can be found with a good balanced diet. This is why older folks are protective of themselves. My 65 years equates to roughly 56 years now. This is the doorstep of becoming older. The mental acuity is still there. Even though there is snow on the roof the furnace is really hot. I hope I stay that way until the end.
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