As dusk draws a warm glow over
the waters, we’re given one last
chance at ‘adventure’ before dinner;
to swim with sharks. My partner,
who’s known for doing stupid things,
turns down the opportunity, I would
never and quickly climb into the
cage.
We’re next to another cage full
of Tawny Nurse Sharks. Although
seemingly placid we’re told to give
them respect as their powerful suck-
ing action can easily drag a swim-
mer’s hand into the mass of sharp
teeth. Our guide playfully strokes the
shark’s bellies as they flop around,
apparently, they were waking up
from a day of sleep, these sharks are
nocturnal.
Someone asks if it would be safe
to swim amongst these three-metre-
long fish. The response is a laugh,
“if you don’t mind risking what eats
these things”, comes the reply. We’re
told there’s even larger things lurking
just below the floating village; larger
sharks and even larger crocodiles are
frequently seen in the area. And with
that, dinner is served.
The evening is filled with laughter
and tales of adventure. Many wines
and beers accompany a delicious bar-
ramundi meal as the laughter contin-
ues, everyone is at ease and we soon
discover that adventure can mean so
many things, to so many people. It’s
a joyous exchange.
I slip off and leave a few of the
men, my partner included to finish
their beers. The tales are becoming
taller, the laughter louder, the night
sky darker.
Dawn pulled back the curtain of
night revealing an already stunning
morning. There’s a crispness to the
air, yet there’s a feeling that it will be
hot.
We’re served a delicious cooked
breakfast accompanied with fruits of
the region and the best coffee I’d had
for a while. I can’t let this opportuni-
ty go to waste.
“Where’s the pilot?” I whispered to
no one in particular.
“There,” motioned a fellow pas-
senger on the small helicopter we’d
booked a flight on the night before.
“The apprentice has been booked
today, don’t worry, he’s just put his L
plates on.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or
walk away. I’d never been in a heli-
copter before and this one didn’t have
doors. My partner was as giddy as a
schoolgirl, I knew this could be one
hell of a ride.
The vibration was horrible, it felt
like the whole contraption would fall
apart, then suddenly stopped, we lift-
ed into the sky. Despite the constant
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