Dangers of the Ocean

Another epic ocean swim this morning, in the glassy shallows off City Beach. The mood changed to tension when I saw angry jellyfish massing in the shadows, waiting for me to drift into their trap and wreak their stinging vengeance for my attack on them recently. They formed a semicircle and were hoping to surround their prey but I was wary and survived with only a few minor stings this time.

This encounter reminded me of another dangerous incident at the same location a decade or so ago. That day, I was swimming with my brother again in the shallows, but completely oblivious to the large stingray that was sitting on the bottom quietly waiting. I swam directly over him and his deadly barbed tail that could have badly injured me had I spooked him. Only half a metre below me the stringray was preparing to strike but what saved me were my fluorescent yellow board shorts that were luridly disgusting and would have scared off any type of sighted predator. I only knew about my brush with death once I returned to the beach and onlookers told me what had happened. How close the world was to not having seen this blog...