Fiction |
Swimming with Deep Blue
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Tatami mat on warm sand. I sit asana-style under a pink beach umbrella, feeling the golden Kona sun and the gentle breezes caressing my body. I close my eyes.
“This is something you will enjoy,” the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency director said. “Check yourself at every step. Stay close to your buddy.” I look at my wrist computer and regulator. I recognize Diamond Head’s Tuff Cone on the far horizon—it’s shaped like the dorsal fin of an ahi. We jump into the green depths. I saw her last year in the waters off Guadalupe Island, where I did my internship at the Marine Conservation Science Institute in Baja California. I remember her sensual beauty. Her enormous bulk slowly came into view and I stopped breathing. Scientists estimate she weighs at least 5,500 lbs. and measures 21 feet. In comparison, think about this: A London bus is 27 feet long; an adult female giraffe is 16 feet at 2,100 lbs., a Volkswagen is 13.3 feet at 1,800 lbs. and I am 5 feet tall, growing shorter as I age. Slight tap on my shoulder. My diving partner pointed to the surface. A sperm whale carcass floated. Several tiger sharks feeding on it, suddenly twist and swim away. And there she was--Deep Blue, the spectacular, beautiful colossus. There was no mistaking her unique skin markings recorded by researchers. We believe she is at least 50 years old. Her usual home is in Baja. She swam over 2,600 miles up to Oahu. She is affectionately called “akahai tutu” (gentle grandma). Local experts think she might be pregnant. Woman to woman, I look up at her from a distance, and don’t recognize any sign of gravidity in her bulk. I wonder if there is any gentleman shark big or bold enough to make his love bites on Deep Blue’s pectoral fins, to hold her still and complete the mating ritual. I don’t think so. I look up and see her glancing our way. Like humans, she has a cornea, lens, retina, pupil and iris. But her eyes almost seem to sparkle, and I am entranced. We ascend to the research vessel. Rest at the stern and close my eyes. Something cold against my foot—I jump awake. A wandering dog has decided to explore and lick my toes. I’m back on Hapuna Beach. Did I dream this encounter? I check newsfeeds on my phone. Deep Blue was just seen in the waters off Oahu. I read the article describing the physiology of sharks. Two lines stand out: “Shark eyes are equipped with a tapetum lucidum, a layer of mirrored crystals located behind the retina.” I remember the sparkle in Deep Blue’s eyes in her drishti (focused) gaze. Not a dream. Namaste my sister. |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elsa Fernandez grew up in Asia. She has lived in San Francisco since 1970 and never gets tired of this lovely city. She has traveled the world and still gets excited flying back home and to finally land at SFO. Her family is scattered around the world—India, Australia, Dubai, England, Ireland and Argentina. She is a political junkie and majored in Journalism and Political Science. She loves music and plays the piano quite well (one of her dreams was to own a piano bar in upcountry Maui . . . she would probably call it the Maui Moon!). Writing poetry is an emotional outlet for her.
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