Sharing the Ocean with Sharks
BY NOW, I’m sure everyone has seen the stunning photo from San Onofre last week of the great white breaching straight up into the air, directly behind an unassuming surfer cruising on a beautiful wave during a competition.
There may be temptation to title this story: “FOOLS RISK LIVES WHILE FROLICKING WITH SHARKS.” However, I believe the more accurate headline would read: “APEX PREDATOR HOSTS SURFERS DURING CONTEST.”
It has been more than a year since I sighted a great white cruising straight past the nose of my longboard at the same spot at San Onofre. In my 30 years as a surfer, that was my first and only shark sighting. Perhaps I should rephrase: that was the first time that I had spotted a shark, but sharks along the California coast have surely been watching me glide by on my board for decades.
Spotting a great white up close and personal is definitely a bone chilling experience, and once was enough for me. Soon after my little shark episode, two of my neighbors (who are also surfers) shared with me their own local shark sighting stories.
As time passed, I was better able to place these recent shark sightings into perspective. I came to appreciate the fact that these magnificent creatures of the sea are voluntarily sharing their natural habitat with us. Although they can swim right up to surfers and take a bite whenever they please, they almost never do. YouTube is full of drone footage showing great whites snuggling up to surfers and boogie boarders, only to then float away like an aloof acquaintance.
As winter approaches and the days are becoming shorter, I am now paddling out at 6:30 am in almost complete darkness. Every once in a while a seal will pop its glistening head up out of the mysterious black water, much too close for comfort, making my heart rev unsteadily like a rusty Buick with 250,000 miles on the odometer.
Each time I paddle out, I remind myself that I am merely a visitor, and the great whites of Southern California have so far been my gracious hosts. In the end, we’ve all got to share this wonderful planet together.
J.S. Lender’s new novella + short story collection for young readers, Emma and the Starry Night, is on sale now!
Follow The Endless Blue for more stories of surfing and the sea…J.S. Lender © 2022
