Humanity has always feared what we do not understand.
This fear of entering the unknown binds us to the surface and limits our ability to explore the depths below. The fear of encountering a monster of the deep, coming face to face with a shark has scared many away from the water altogether. But over the past few years, ocean lovers have increasingly become fascinated by these apex predators and have begun seeking them out.
I was lucky enough to have this opportunity, joining a recent expedition off the coast of the Bahamas to seek out and scuba dive with Tiger Sharks and Bull Sharks. Statistically, these two sharks are considered the second and third most aggressive and most deadly sharks in the world, and to make this interesting we were diving without a cage.
I have never felt anything quite like this before. We were thrown into a world where we were completely powerless and defenseless against the will of nature. We were staring down the eyes of some of the most feared predators on Earth, hoping that the trust we placed in these animals was not a mistake. While I have never felt more alert in my entire life, as ridiculous as it sounds, the sensation of fear was not present. We had placed our trust in these apex predators, and it almost seemed as if they were as curious in us as we were in them.
The expedition was filled with awe-inspiring sensations of fascination and disbelief as 15 – 17ft Tiger Sharks swam within centimeters of us, at times even forcing us to use our cameras as shields to push them away. Yet they displayed no aggression at all. During these periods where there were only 1 or 2 Tiger Sharks in the water and a few Bull Sharks lurking in the distance, things were surprisingly relaxed. It offered a rare opportunity to interact with these apex predators in a manner I never thought possible.
Denne historien er fra December 2018/January 2019-utgaven av Adventure Magazine.
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Denne historien er fra December 2018/January 2019-utgaven av Adventure Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Papua New Guinea
Four reasons to add Papua New Guinea to your bucket list
The benefits of being a Multi-Trick Pony
"A broad skill base and how you can draw from one platform to the next – women often pigeon hole themselves"
The RELUCTANT adventurer
An eighteen-year-old princess, who paints his (yes, his) nails and dyes his hair bleach blonde, embarking on an adventure trip with his family, sounds like a plot for a bad 80s movie.
The Meaning of Tramping
What does tramping mean to you?
Keala Kennelly owns Red Bull Magnitude
The North Shore season of 1957 is recognized in the surfing world as the start of an era. When Greg Noll, a young Mickey Munoz and company went out and rode Waimea for the first time, it was a glimpse of what could be in the world of big-wave surfing.
North West Circuit Stewart Island
I found myself in limbo during the winter of 2020, in between jobs in a strained covid economy. And so, I did what any outdoors person would do with a large amount of free time on their hands. It was time to pack up my belongings and hit the road. It was time to leave behind home comforts and go adventure-seeking.
Emilie's adventure to Angelus Hut
“I want to be the leader!” Miss Six announced, pushing past me in her determination to be in front. Momentarily off-balance with my heavy pack, I narrowly avoided twisting an ankle on the sharp rocks and silently swore while cracking a bright smile.
Nancy Jiang Breaking stereotypes
I recently watched a youtube movie entitled, “Her Way” (check it out on the Adventure Website) which introduced a woman who had an overwhelming passion for running. The preface at the bottom of the clip, read as follows:
Adversity at Altitude
The wind and snow is whipping at my face. I’ve readjusted the stiff frozen fleece buff around my neck and mouth, desperately trying to protect myself from the -20 degree bitter wind. Adrenaline is still pumping through my body but I know I’ll start to get cold soon.
Last Great Mountaineering Challenge
Ground-breaking mountaineer Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja MBE has attained an incredible new world record by submitting K2 as part of a collaborative team in the depths of winter. Until now, it was a record that was believed to be impossible to accomplish and was famously known as the ‘last great mountaineering challenge’.
