Just wondering what kind of wildlife you all have encountered. My group swims at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, IN (Indianapolis) Our running list is attack swans (you have to roll over on your back and kick them in the chest to get them off of you) other assorted waterfowl, a crotch carp (one of the group members was standing in water thigh deep when a fish jumped into the air and hit him in the crotch, then bounced off and hit another group member in the chest) and this morning I swam past my new friend the lake snake. What could be next?
Former Member
Last fall I poked a seal in the belly. The beach was fogged in so we didn't know there was a seal convention at the end of the pier until we got there... not wanting to hang out in the shark snack bar we promptly made our way back towards the beach but a couple curious seals followed us for a little bit. One swam right under me and I poked him... scared the hell out of me.
Other than that I've seen some dolphins, various birds and whatnot. It's the stuff I can't see that scares me though :afraid:
Leanord, was that 2008? I was there too, but I "broke away" from the swim and convinced some intrepid fools to accompany me to the buoy a few miles out.
Took me over an hour to swim out 2.5 miles and 30 minutes to swim back, if that says anything about the conditions. I was bodysurfing on the way back.
No, 2006. I was hoping to use it as a tuneup for MIMS that year. I've gone there twice and both times they had to have it in the lake. After the '06 one, they said they were going to try to find a better back-up venue, but not sure if they ever did. Still on my to-do list, but not this year, I'm afraid.
-LBJ
well that and kelp... the piece of ocean I work out in doesn't have the best visibility so every once and a while I get surprise attacked by ninja kelp and it damn near scares me to death every time
The most notable wildlife I have encountered are some freshwater fish at Lake Pleasant last year. The water is so clear there you can see a fair distance and at both events last year I saw multiple fish. I wasn't able to identify which species they were but they were well-fed. They weren't startled by the appearance of several dozen swimmers in my wave, apparently they have seen it all before :)
I remember reading another post from you on this same subject. Is that why you're called Lump? :D Sorry, I just couldn't help it.
I hope not! I may have done alot of things, but that ain't one of them!
Listed from most scary to least scary:
1. A man swimming in a thong at Barton Springs;
2. The lifeguard at Fort Lauderdale beach who yelled at me to leave the beach or he'd call the police, because I swam more than 50 yards from shore;
3. The submerged shopping cart on the bottom at Ohio St Beach. Scares the *&% out of me every time I see it.
4. The very very large but harmless nurse shark at Key West;
5. Very small but harmless nurse sharks at Key West;
6. The bird that had dysentery all over me while swimming in the Lake;
7. Seahorses!!!!!!! in Bonaire :banana:
Ohio Street Harbor has a cool bed of water plants, in the shade of the seawall, where the catfish rest up. I always look for it when I'm out there. Seagulls in Lake Michigan have dive-bombed my rosy swim cap. Perhaps I look like fresh road kill. Otherwise, many birds, a dozen or so uncommon species, as the southern concavity of L. Michigan is on the flyway for migrating species.
:)
Just love your stories! Poking a seal must be much more fun afterwards than during!
I rarely meet anything interesting during my open water swims. Jellyfish, beachcombers, old bicycles, angry swans, lazy sea gulls. But apart from that ...
