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					Clayton Misener
Nature paper
Draft 1

       The sun was just peaking over the tangled mangrove trees.

It was so calm the water was like a huge sheet of glass.        There

was not a cloud in the sky. There was dew all over the windows

and seats, and a heavy wall of white foamy water formed from the

back of the boat.

       There was wildlife everywhere.   On the way out of the pass,

there was a family of tiny raccoons nibbling on all the little,

dead mullets.     There were masses of bright white seagulls diving

all over the flustered bait balls.      We also saw jellyfish

everywhere just floating on by with the current.      There were

also a couple of turtles with big, brown, tarnished shells

slightly sticking above the surface, and when you got to close

to them they would slowly sink down into the bright blue water.

About ten minutes into the drive, a school of dolphins popped up

out of nowhere and started racing along with our boat.     They

were shooting all over the place and winding in and out of each

other.     After a couple minutes, I guess they lost interest and

left just as fast as they came.

       About twenty minutes into the ride out to the fishing hole,

we saw something very strange.    There was something that looked
like a massive white wall a couple miles out in front of us.

Once we motored all the way up to it we realized it was a

massive white fluffy cloud.    The cloud looked like it was

touching the glassy water.    This cloud reached up very high into

the bright blue sky, and wrapped around into a U shape on three

sides of us.   Behind the cloud, the water looked like it started

to kick up, and it look very dark in it.    The cloud looked

ominous, like it wanted to kill someone.

     We wanted to go fishing so bad we decided just to go

through it.    As we went under the edge of the cloud, it appeared

as if I could touch the cloud.   Immediately as we went into the

cloud, we realized it was a storm.   The wind picked up and then

the waves came.   At first, the waves were little but then they

rose into four to five foot waves.    The rain started pouring

down, and the sky was almost as dark as night.    We were getting

thrown around by the wave and the wind.    The rain was pelting

into our faces and arms. It felt like a swarm of bumble bees was

stinging me all over.   I started to get the feeling of

uncertainty, not knowing if such a little boat could take a

beating like this.   As every wave slammed into the side of the

boat, and sprayed water all over everything; it felt like the

boat was going to flip.

    This went on for a good forty-five minutes to an hour.

Then we finally came out of the back of the storm and the water
calmed down to just a tiny ripple on the surface, the rain

stopped, and the sky turned back to blue.     That was about the

time I realized that we don’t control Mother Nature, it controls

us.     Once you’re in a storm like that, you realize it is not up

to you weather you die or not.

      After that whole ordeal, we decided to get on with the day.

We were only about 500 feet from our fishing spot.        So we slowed

the motor down to a dull rumbling. Then we started searching the

depth finder for anything below.    We started to see a good

mound; so I ran up to the front of the soaking wet boat and got

the anchor ready.    When my dad yelled,”drop it”, I chucked the

freezing cold hunk of metal as far away from the boat as I

could.    It slapped the water and then went out of view very

fast.     That meant the water clarity was very poor after the big

storm.    This is not good, because we spearfish so we need to be

able to see.    I would have liked to have a good visibility if I

could, so I can see the sharks and goliath groupers coming.

After all, I do have a bunch of dead bleeding fish strapped to

my hip.    Even with the bad conditions, we decided to go check it

out anyway.    Once I was all geared up, I took a step over the

edge of the boat and plunged down into the water.      The ice cold

water shot up my black wetsuit, and I thought I was about to

freeze to death.     Then I slowly sank to the bottom.

      To my surprise,    there were fish everywhere.     There were
big schools of mangrove snapper darting in and out of all the

massive rocks.    There were four or five barracuda floating over

the rocks with their white fangs hanging out all around there

mouth, and they keep their mouths just slightly cracked open so

it looks like they’re grinning at you.    There were also giant

goliath groupers everywhere I looked.    When I say giant, I mean

300 to 700 pounds.    When I shoot fish these husky groupers try

to steal them from me.

    I ran into a turtle that was sleeping, and I tapped on his

hard shell.    He sluggishly cracked open his yellow eyes and just

stared.    Then eventually he started just gliding away off into

the murky water, which I could only see about ten feet into.

The murkiness made it creepy because you can’t see anything

coming till it is almost literally on you.

    After I had checked out the reef, I started hunting.      I saw

a big hole full of snapper so I stopped and slowly sank to the

bottom and waited.    I finally saw a nice meaty looking snapper;

I waited till I got a good shot, then shot.    I heard the click

of the trigger and a swoosh of the spear slicing through water.

There was a big cloud of sand all over; so I knew I got it.       I

got a couple more out of that hole and then moved on.

    I got a few more very nice fish.     I had a total of five

snapper.    I had a plump gag grouper, and one barely legal

    At this point, the needle on my pressure gauge was dipping

down into the red.   I started my ascent toward the surface I was

watching the rocks get smaller and smaller as I was going up.

Then BOOM!!! It felt like I just got hit by a train, I whipped

my head up as fast as I could, just in time to see a 14-15ft.

hammerhead shark swimming away.    I was scared to look down to

see what happened. I started to see blood floating all over.       I

made myself stay calm, and not look to see what happened.    If I

looked I could’ve panicked and died.

    A couple seconds later, I broke the surface and frantically

looked for the boat.   Once I located it, I started swimming like

a mad dog, splashing all over.    I was terrified thinking that

the shark would come back for more.    Once I reached the boat I

was in it faster than what I thought humanly possible.    I looked

down and started laughing hysterically.

    To this day I’ll never forget when that massive hammerhead

shark ate, fish off the ringer.

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