SHARKS!! Are any of you scared?

[livetotravel]

All of you talk about snorkling and river tubing without a comment about what might be in the water waiting for dinner. Sorry but I am such a chicken when it comes to entering the world of the predator. The water looks so beautiful and I love to get about behind deep and I also like to see what I am swimming in. Pools are great!!!!!! when I was youg I would swim in the Gulf of Mexico in Gulfport where I grew up. I would swim up to my neck by myself!!Now I shiver at the thought. So when you mention river tubing I think of crocodile, anacondas. Does any of you ever think about the same things?

[livetotravel]

All of you talk about snorkling and river tubing without a comment about what might be in the water waiting for dinner. Sorry but I am such a chicken when it comes to entering the world of the predator. The water looks so beautiful and I love to get about behind deep and I also like to see what I am swimming in. Pools are great!!!!!! when I was youg I would swim in the Gulf of Mexico in Gulfport where I grew up. I would swim up to my neck by myself!!Now I shiver at the thought. So when you mention river tubing I think of crocodile, anacondas. Does any of you ever think about the same things?

[Jim C.]

Cave tubing in a river is pretty safe. The water is too swift and too cold for crocs or alligators. Anacondas are not predators that go chasing a meal. So I am not at all concerned about the rivers.

Sharks? Well yes, its the ocean and there are sharks. But with the thousands and thousands of people that snorkel I don't see reports of shark attack. Most people attacked by sharks are not killed (in the Caribbean anyway) and were not in clear water where the shark could see what they were biting. You take a much larger risk to your life every time you get into a car.

You can worry about something that is very unlikely and miss out the fun or you can ignore your fears and get in the water.

[livetotravel]

I know I should. I would love to scuba dive and maybe someday I will. I am, most likely, maybe, will snorkel on my next cruise. But you know they shouldn't make movies like Jaws or Open Water!!!! No really I love Jaws, could watch it over and over. I guess as I get older death seems closer so why bring it on faster!! For someone who loves cruising and the open ocean, the smell of salt water, the crystal clear water of the islands, I think I need to just get over the fear.

[Dwayne]

I actually have rarely seen any sharks while snorkeling in the Caribbean. I hear they are more prevalent in the Bahamas. I did get a scare when I woke up a huge ray that was sleeping in the sand at Trunk Bay once. It just swam away from me. I know what you mean though, I don't go in the water much where I live because the water is not clear. The few bites that happen are because the shark can't see what it is biting. That water is very clear in the Caribbean. Snorkeling is a wonderful experience and you should give it a try. I purposely wear yellow and black swim trunks so the Sergeant Major's will swim along with me (at least I think it works).

Dwayne

[Sonny V]

I wouldn't think of swimming in a river warm murky water. I don't like swimming in water too deep to see the bottom either. I've done the cave tubing in Belize, and swimming with the stingray in the Grand Cayman without a hint of fear. I've also snorkeled in other parts of the Caribbean and really enjoyed it. I've never seen a shark, but I'm sure a shark as seen me. I'm still here and posting this message.


Sonny

[livetotravel]

Nice touch with the shark Sonny!!!

[sparks1093]

If my son Matthew (age 12) saw a shark he would swim toward it instead of away from it. He wants to be a marine biologist when he grows up and wants to study, yup, you guessed it, sharks.

[Sonny V]

That shark looks more like a dog wagging it's tail…kind of harmless. You don't need the wrong image planted in you head, do you?

[spoheat]

The internet is grand. You can look up whatever you want. Before we tubed down rivers in Jamaica (twice) we checked up on what occurs there naturally for animal life. Apparently there are some small snakes on Jamaica. Extremely rare--most Jamaicans will live their entire life without seeing one in the wild. This information was of particular importance to me before sitting in a tube and becoming and island for seafaring serpants in this very tropical climate.