There's this moment between taking the first dip and getting settled in the water that scares the life out of me. I love the ocean, I love the fishes, hell, I even love the sharks but every time I go under, my body starts to curl up to the surface, feeling alien amidst the deep blue. I need about a few seconds before the fear of getting bitten by tiny fishes start to feel like ticklish kisses instead. The fear I once had seems ridiculous now.
And so, I’m staring down this shark a few feet away from me. It’s blue, white dots all over, and mouth as wide as the length of my arm. I’m calm, actually, excited even. It’s what we came here for. It’s a whale shark, chill. I’ve done this before.