Swimming With The Sharks
08 May 2009
At Bob and Mary's recommendation, Patty and I decided to stay over a day in Ft. Lauderdale. We never thought we would be here so why not take advantage of it? So, mid-morning, we walked 2 blocks from the marina and were on the Atlantic. We took a walk down the beach and then went in for a swim. It was terrific until I noticed a "large" shadow off to my side. I thought it was just the bottom until it moved, turned and headed off away from us. To me, it looked like it was 4 to 5 feet in length. We exited promptly and went down to another section where there were more people/bait around us. We then noticed that the life guard stations had a warning about the presence of "dangerous marine life." I asked the guard about it and he said it referred to jelly fish. He did tell me that sharks(I don't know what kind) will come into the shallows and leave. He also said that tarpons, which look a lot like a shark, will do the same. So much for swimming. Time for lunch! Patty and I went to Lulu's which is up on the second floor overlooking the ocean and talked about my narrow escape.
As I mentioned yesterday, Bob and Mary headed out at 6:00 a.m. for the Bahamas. I got up to see them off. Unfortunately, they did not make it. They had some engine issues and had to return. They are making repairs and may yet try again.
Tomorrow we head to Miami and Key Biscayne. It's a Saturday and the boat traffic may be heavy but we plan on an early start. We have talked with our Punta Gorda friends cruising that area and we hope to meet up on Sunday. After spending a couple of weeks in the Keys, Patty and I will start north for our home port.