AMERICANWAY
NOVEMBER2015
71
I amabout to
drop50 feet
toa reef in
theAtlantic
Ocean, in
hopesof
encountering
Caribbean
Reef sharks,
when the
imageof
Jaws rising
from the
blackdepths
inall his
sharp-toothysplendorflashes throughmy
head, triggeringapanicattack.
“Ican’tbreathe,”Isay, yankingout
theaerator (airhose)whileperchedon
thebackofadiveboat, the lastof16scuba
divers toenterwhateveryone (butme)
hopes isshark-infestedwater.Concerns
ofbeinggnawed inhalfareapparently
confined tomyself, asmy21-year-old
son,Jacob, isalready in thewater looking
exasperatedathishesitantmother.
“It’sOK,”CaptainTomsaystome. “You
ACaribbeanReef shark
PHOTO
NATURE P I CTURE L I BRARY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
PREV IOUS PHOTO
UNEXSO L I BRARY
