I had an feathery experience while swimming in the ocean...at the beach in front of my house is a rock which, at high tide, I dive from. I swim a set number of strokes out, then swim back in.
So I've done about ten of these out and backs, and am feeling pretty winded. After swimming out again, I float on my back, recovering. An eagle dives down and swoops over me, about a metre above my body...I could see his belly, talons, tail feathers, etc so clearly! But it also spooked me! Thank goodness he didn't think I was a salmon...
Former Member
I'm blind as a bat too. I keep my contacts in when I swim - under the goggles. Haven't lost one yet.....
Until tomorrow morning that is ...
I have considered contacts. But I can't make myself do it. I've never worn contacts. Even though everyone I know seems OK with their own contacts, including my own kids, I just can't make myself do it. I guess I'm just too much of a wuss to get beyond my hangup of sticking pieces of plastic in my eyes. Some day maybe I'll get beyond that.
Interesting "wildlife" in the lap pool today. A "Jellyfish". Someone must have had a doozy of a cold or allergies, and they cleared their sinuses all in one snort. It looked like a jellyfish about 4 inches across. :(
That is so gross, and yet I split a gut.
So I 'shared with our masters after practise in the sauna. And they ahd the same reaction.
So gross, yet funny because it wasn't in our pool
:eek: :mad: :p :D
Kiwi
Hi to everyone - I am glad that I found this forum, I just registered. :)
Around 1980 I spent some time as a hippie in Sri Lanka. I would always swim out far - and since no one would come with me - I went by myself. I was crossing a semicircular bay with a diameter of one mile. When I was approx. at the halfway point, ie ½mile from the shore, ½mile into my swim and still ½mile to go, I saw a big fin slicing thru the water, the perfect setup for a nightmare. It must have been my guardian angels that kept me from fainting. Surprised at my calmness, I kept on going steady. We swam opposite directions and only when that creature passed close by me, I identified it as a whale shark (plancton eater) with a length of 12 feet. Not much for a whale shark, but enough to scare the ... out of anybody. I was surprised at myself that I kept calm. As strange as it may seem, at that moment I was only concerned about reaching my destination. I could have touched it, but I didn't want to loose time. Strange! But looking back, may be it was better not to touch it.
I feel like being the only open water swimmer here in Austria. Last month I participated in (probably the only) open water race available (distance:5000m). The race took place in a calm pond with 23°C/73F water temp - however I was the only one competing without a wetsuit.
cheers
Gerald
Was I Shark Bait??? On my web site there is story about a Shark following me for ten miles in the swim to Block Island. Just found out it was a Great White Shark - Rejean Lacoursiere has found the picture of the shark that his brother in law took and is forwarding it to me. I will add it as soon as it gets to me.
George www.swimdownhill.com
Here is the white shark I was swimming with in the Block Island swim (sorry Tried to put the picture on).
It is on my home page www.swimdownhill.com
George
Just found out it was a Great White Shark - Rejean Lacoursiere found the picture of the shark that his brother Jean Guy took. It was taken just as we came out of the breakwall. On closer inspection, it is Johnny Lacoursiere in this shot, I can tell by the Hurricane goggles he is wearing. The Shark then slipped in behind me and followed me for the rest of the race.
George www.swimdownhill.com
That picture was taken 38 years ago and found in a roll of undeveloped film, in Jean Guy's basement after he passed away. It was developed a couple of weeks ago by Rejean Lacoursiere. It is amazing that it turned out as well as it did. When Johnny saw it he sent it to me and his first word was "WOW" then - "have a look at this".
George www.swimdownhill.com
