New World Record OW Swim

Full disclosure: Penny is my idol and a constant source of inspiration. Additionally, I consider several of the crew members good friends, and like everyone else who loves open water swimming am deeply indebted to Steve Munatones for his dedication and commitment to all things OW. I will try to be as neutral as possible with my comments on this subject. I have some acquaintances that tag and track sharks in the Bahamas. This is of course for scientific research with the ultimate goal of preserving and protecting the many species they study... still, there are some mortalities. Unfortunate, but acceptable? Some would say yes, some no. On one trip down there, Willie Miller, Clare and I joined them for an excursion, and got to swim in the presence of three 10' bull sharks... an amazing experience. We felt quite secure since we were surrounded by shark experts who could quickly identify aggressive behavior. Were I doing a long swim with a good chance of meeting up with with some toothy marine life, I would want folks like this on my crew. I would not second guess them for a second... period. I would set a policy that would require the swim to be stopped, or interrupted if they concluded that I was in danger. If an unexpected situation arose and it became a choice between me or a fish, I would expect them to weigh-in in my favor (after not too much deliberation). I remember reading in Lynn Cox's book about a diver taking out a great white to protect her during a swim in South Africa.... times and attitudes have changed for the better. This would no longer be looked upon as an acceptable safety plan, and I don't believe this was the intention for Penny's swim. Penny swims with Shark Shields. My opinion is that too much weight has been given to their effectiveness, and I assume this might have something to do with the surprise at the tenacity of the white tips. I assume attempts were made to relocate the sharks with hooks and line (the same techniques used to catch specimens for tagging). I can't say what was in the heart of Mr Ebanks, but knowing that he was charged with the awesome responsibility to protect Penny, might he have over reacted? Would I have? Would you have? Could sharks have died during the attempt to relocate them? I think reality lies somewhere between the sensationalized press reports and the sanitized official responses, but as I was not there, I will not pass judgement. I will gladly participate in the discussion to come up with a safety plan that can be universally adopted that considers the safety of swimmers and marine life equally.

Full disclosure: Penny is my idol and a constant source of inspiration. Additionally, I consider several of the crew members good friends, and like everyone else who loves open water swimming am deeply indebted to Steve Munatones for his dedication and commitment to all things OW. I will try to be as neutral as possible with my comments on this subject. I have some acquaintances that tag and track sharks in the Bahamas. This is of course for scientific research with the ultimate goal of preserving and protecting the many species they study... still, there are some mortalities. Unfortunate, but acceptable? Some would say yes, some no. On one trip down there, Willie Miller, Clare and I joined them for an excursion, and got to swim in the presence of three 10' bull sharks... an amazing experience. We felt quite secure since we were surrounded by shark experts who could quickly identify aggressive behavior. Were I doing a long swim with a good chance of meeting up with with some toothy marine life, I would want folks like this on my crew. I would not second guess them for a second... period. I would set a policy that would require the swim to be stopped, or interrupted if they concluded that I was in danger. If an unexpected situation arose and it became a choice between me or a fish, I would expect them to weigh-in in my favor (after not too much deliberation). I remember reading in Lynn Cox's book about a diver taking out a great white to protect her during a swim in South Africa.... times and attitudes have changed for the better. This would no longer be looked upon as an acceptable safety plan, and I don't believe this was the intention for Penny's swim. Penny swims with Shark Shields. My opinion is that too much weight has been given to their effectiveness, and I assume this might have something to do with the surprise at the tenacity of the white tips. I assume attempts were made to relocate the sharks with hooks and line (the same techniques used to catch specimens for tagging). I can't say what was in the heart of Mr Ebanks, but knowing that he was charged with the awesome responsibility to protect Penny, might he have over reacted? Would I have? Would you have? Could sharks have died during the attempt to relocate them? I think reality lies somewhere between the sensationalized press reports and the sanitized official responses, but as I was not there, I will not pass judgement. I will gladly participate in the discussion to come up with a safety plan that can be universally adopted that considers the safety of swimmers and marine life equally.