Chinese New Year 2015 says it’s the year of the goat. I say it’s the year of the SHARK.
For the 4th of July week, we vacationed on Isle of Palms, SC. The day before we arrived, there was a shark attack. Gulp. Needless to say, we barely dipped our toes in the water.
Yes, I realize the odds. I also remember sneaking in the movie theater while my dad was watching Jaws (probably a rerelease because Jaws is 40 years old and I distinctly remember being about 10 at the time, not 3). My sister and I had been in some innocent, probably Disney movie. We thought it would be a good idea to go see Dad’s movie after our movie was over. Big mistake. Some images you don’t get out of your head.
So we came home from Isle of Palms and found what on TV? Shark Week on Discovery Channel!
The past few days, we were once again back at the beach, this time on Fripp Island. Gorgeous place, tons of fun! Did we go in the water? Yes but hardly. And my friend had a cool device called a Sharkbanz that supposedly repels sharks with magnetic waves. Sharkbanz use special patented magnetic technology to deter sharks from attacking people. “As the shark approaches a person wearing Sharkbanz, magnetic waves coming from the band disrupt [the shark’s] electro-receptors and it quickly turns away.” My son wore one while he played in knee deep water and came home unscathed.
I told my husband abou
t the Sharkbanz when we got home. He asked a good question: How will we know if the Sharkbanz worked? Will we just assume the fact that he left the ocean with all limbs intact is because of the Sharkbanz? Palm to face. Good point, honey!
So my son’s favor
ite souvenir from Fripp? Appropriately, a shark tooth necklace. (Check out his “Shark Watch” shirt too.) On our last day, a kid on the beach caught…wait for it…a baby shark. Remember the camp song that goes, “Baby Shark do do do do do do.” Remember people, there is always a MAMA shark and DADDY shark that follow in the song. Just sayin’
And on second thought, I may not have chosen the best fruit chews/gummies at the grocery store…
As if to prove once and for all that this is the Year of the Shark, yesterday my news feed blew up with footage of professional surfer Mick Fanning who was attacked by a great white during a surfing competition in South Africa and fortunately survived…and it was all caught on video!
I’m getting the message loud and clear. Next week, I think I’m going to the mountains 😉
Sherry