I Swam with Sharks on My 21st Birthday!

I did, I really did.

It was a surprise though. Morgan has done a few different stories with a particular shark-diving company and, without me knowing, arranged for the two of us to dive with them on my birthday this past Monday. It was FANTASTIC! We were out in the Indian Ocean for the better part of the day when we first dove in to swim with about 30 or 40 dolphins and later, about that many blacktip sharks. Two tiger sharks also showed up a bit later, but by that time I was passed out on the boat with the color completely drained from my face.

...I get seasick.

Despite feeling terrible, I found my nausea almost funny. That WOULD happen to me when Morgan planned a great surprise and that WOULD happen to me on my birthday, with my head hung over the side of the boat while everyone else threw on their gear to jump in the water. Still, it was an amazing experience. No cages, no harnesses, nothing. Just swimming alongside tens of curious sharks.

One of the women working our particular dive was an American who is doing field work in South Africa as a shark conservationist. We learned quite a bit of valuable information not only about sharks, but about the particular organization which she started up: Shark Savers. For more information, I believe her website is: www.sharksavers.org.

Also, as predicted in my last post, I did have a South African braii for my 21st birthday. Friends from eTV (where I interned last summer) came, some of Morgan's good friends that I've since met and various members of Morgan's family. I have to say that for a 21st birthday far away from home and old friends, it was was wonderful. Morgan and his family prepared everything, down to decorating a little chair for me to sit in. I really couldn't thank them enough.

And now, after having spent an amazing month back in South Africa, I am little more than a week away from leaving for Havana, Cuba where I will live for the next four months. I leave for the the States on Monday, get back on Tuesday and that Saturday I fly out. When this realization hit me last night, it made me somewhat sad. I love South Africa and I think it's a beautiful country. I also won't see Morgan until I run my Ironman in Cozumel this November. However, I think that the best situation to feel sad in is when you're going from one exciting adventure to another.