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Originally Posted by rivrrat  Yes, yes... there are things that can eat you in the ocean. And in the woods too, for that matter.  Part of my fear of unfamiliar water (particularly saltwater) is the fact that I don't know WTF is under the surface with teeth. So, I really don't want to dwell on the carnivorous sea life too much LOL I just keep reminding myself that the chances of me getting eaten by a shark are pretty slim.
Though they do increase dramatically if I'm out in the waves... 
I have been in the water with sharks though, so I have experienced that helpless fear. Reef sharks were no big deal, they didn't concern me. But during a wreck dive, a much larger shark came swimming out of the deep blue as we were descending to the deck. We were following a buoy line down and every single one of us stopped dead on the line when the shark came into view. You could SEE that divers were holding their breath. LOL We froze, stared at the shark, hoped and prayed to every god and goddess imaginable that it would just ignore us and go away. Fortunately, that's exactly what it did. That is the norm, and is what to expect as far as I know. Still pretty damn scary to be around something that could kill you so very easily though. Just to be at their mercy, in their environment. |
I was in the water in Florida out by Shell Beach near Fort Walton. I drifted out past the break and looked back and realized how far out I was and about pissed myself. I went to swim back and about 10 ft away this fin comes up out the water. I confess, I did piss myself then. I just stopped dead and literally said my last confession cuz I knew I was dead.
Then the little dolphin popped his head out of the water and I swear the bastard was laughing at me. People feed them around Shell Beach so they aren't really scared of humans at all, I guess. He swam back with me, even let me pet him a couple of times and hold onto his fin while he swam but I let go because he was trying to go further out. Once I got back in, he just turned around and swam away. It was a really poweful experience but I won't ever forget to utter terror I felt when I thought it was a shark that had come up on me.