" No black sole shoes on deck. If you're prone to seasickness, we suggest you take pills to prevent such an occurrence plenty of time in advance. We provide lunch, you supply your own mask, snorkel, wetsuit, gloves, and be SCUBA certified. Be sure to sign the dotted line that states: if you lose any limbs, are injured, or happen to be killed - we're not liable. "
I took my Bonine the night before. I borrowed a pair of white sole shoes, later to learn that everyone except me on the boat, even the captain, failed to read that request in the contract. Now, if the treacherous event of death occurs, I'll be wearing someone else's shoes.
Only weeks earlier was I sitting in SCUBA class having a discussion about how rarely divers encounter sharks, let alone the notorious Great White. Yet there I was, my virgin dive, signing papers that exclude any liability if a Great White happens to become too friendly. All this is thanks to media hype, urban legends, and one incredible film shot in the seventies, Jaws. " Don't go in the water. " Thanks, Steven.
I've been a shark enthusiast for several years now, collecting everything from tooth necklaces to beer bottles with sharks on the label. My lifetime goals have always been to sky dive, make a feature length film, get married, have children (in that order), shave my head (don't ask), and share the waters with a Great White. All of which scare me beyond words and I'm about to face one of those.
6:00 am
We arrive at the dock in Alameda, CA - just southeast of San Francisco. Transferring our video and film gear aboard a 32 foot vessel, the Patriot of Golden Gate Expeditions, I noticed a " not as big as I thought " cage strapped to the stern deck. At this moment, my previous experience with small boats and the feeling that rests in my stomach is taking priority over my fear of sharks.
continue
|
