Shark Diving!

Ok, so I know that this is totally and completely out of order and a thing of the past, but my life has been pretty wonderful the last year or so and I have been able to do and experience some fantastic things. So even if this is more for my sake and memories than anyone else's benefit, I really have to write about Shark Diving in Haleiwa. I don't remember when exactly it was but it was the last part of May. Spring Term was Tessie's last chance for adventures on our little island and she really made the best of it. When she asked for shark diving recruits I was more than happy to oblige! Then came our toughest obstacle....tracking down fellow shark divers. Finally after days of begging and pleading we convinced Addison and Chris to share in our adventure.

On Saturday morning we met outside the Aloha Center and scurried to the bus stop where I received a phone call from my parents. Thus far they had not been informed of my plans for the day and happily, were quite ecstatic (and jealous) when they heard the news! As I felt the jealousy oozing we hopped on the 55 Circle Island and prepared ourselves. In Haleiwa the sun was shining and the breeze was spectacular. As our little boat filled with anxious people drove the 5 miles off shore to the shark cage I was soaking in all of the beauty of God's creations. I just couldn't (and still can't) believe how lucky I am to be living in such a wonderful and beautiful place.

As the boat slowed to a halt at the cage I peered over the edge into the water and was taken aback at the sight I beheld. Just a few feet from my face was and entire school, clan, pack, herd, whatever! of gigantic Galapagos Sharks! They pretty much look like great whites, just slightly smaller. They averaged about 14ft. in length and that was plenty big enough for me, especially since there were about 30 of them swarming under our boat. Then our problems began.

We were out to sea quite a far way and out there the wind can literally rock the boat. I think that it is probably safe to say that most everyone on the boat was feeling just a bit queasy, but I think Chris wins the prize. For the next half hour while we waited for our turn in the cage he groaned on the benches and vomited over the side to the sharks. I was feeling pretty bad for the poor kid.

At last it was our turn to snap on our goggles and gnaw on our snorkels. Tessie was the first one down the ladder into the cage and Chris was right behind her in the hopes that being in the water would be better on his stomach and the unsteady boat. Seconds later I was following Addison into the water. My goggles went under the water and suddenly my head was above the water and I watched Addison bob to the surface at the same instant. Our eyes were wide and we didn't quite know how to react to the incredible number of massive, man-eating machines surrounding us. After a second we overcame our fears, swam to the edge of the cage, and grabbed on. The next twenty minutes were sheer bliss, with the one exception of Addison's foot dangling outside of the cage and my desperate attempt to save his limbs from being devoured. There were literally sharks everywhere, surrounding us like we were a little gift and they were the over sized wrapping paper. I wish that I had better peripherals or something so that I could have seen absolutely everything for every second I was under the water. I saw so much and was completely entranced without interruption, but there were so many sharks in so many places that I couldn't possibly have captured everything. It was incredible.

When our time was up I reluctantly pulled myself out of the cage and into the boat and was instantaneously nauseous and freezing. I spent the next 15 minutes bundled up in a towel soaking up the suns warmth with eyes closed attempting to keep my head as steady as possible...which wasn't very. :/ Eventually I felt good enough to walk around only to discover that now both Chris and Addison were unpleasantly sick. Needless to say, Tessie and I felt awful for dragging them along to pay for something that would make them feel so awful. By then we were all ready to just finally be back on solid ground. When my head had cleared enough I realized that I could actually feel myself being suffocated by salt. My theory is that the further out you go, the saltier that water.

Eventually the boat docked in Haleiwa and we agreed that a stop at the beach was necessary to soothe our uneasy stomachs (that and the fact that we couldn't find the farmers market). After a pleasant walk we came across a beach park and planted ourselves in the sand. I'm sure now that we all must have been very cold to even attempt tip-toeing along that sand to spread out our towels and lay down because twenty minutes later we were all sweating bullets and the sand was literally on the verge of giving us hospitalized burns as we ran towards the divine grass and shade! There under the pleasant shade we leaned on one another lazily listening to the hawaiian tunes emanating from someone's radio and fell into a peaceful slumber.

At long last our adventure came to a close we passed around sack lunch bagels and watched Wimea and Sunset Beach breeze by as the 55 took us home along Kam highway. I don't really remember the rest of the day, even though it was probably loads of fun because it was spent with everyone! Although it is probably safe to say that it paled in comparison to our jaunt in Haleiwa! There goes one check-mark on my bucket list!