Cape Verde: the inspiring words of a Lemon Shark

So, In Sal Island (Cape Verde) there's a piece of shore called the Shark Bay. Guess why? (giggles) Yes, because it has sharks. It is, actually, a shark nursery. Lemon shark moms come to this beach to give birth, and the youngsters stay here up until they are old enough to navigate deeper waters. Adult Lemon sharks can grow up until 13 ft long, the longest one we spotted here was about 6 ft long. 

So, we took a trip around the island and, included in the tour, was a visit to Shark Bay. We arrived there and rented a pair of rubber shoes, due to the rocky bottom of the beach, and into the water we went! The water was about 78 ºF, and we went in until the water reached our thighs. Our guide told us the sharks were harmless, so we were nothing more than excited to share the same waters with these majestic animals! He warned us to keep silent and as still as we possibly could, so they could feel comfortable enough to come check us out, and so we did. A few moments later, they started approaching us. 

Lemon sharks are the same color as sand, so all we could see was shadows under the water and their dorsal fin above it, and as they got closer I was overwhelmed by their energy, all those youngsters feeling so curious about us and sharing the same waters, as if within that moment in time, we were all nothing more than two pieces of something bigger than ourselves. It felt like we were one and the same, two different beings through which the universe was being able to experience itself and enjoy life. Does it sound weird? Because It was exactly what I felt. I was so amazed, I had to ask to the shark standing closer to us: "How come you are so comfortable coming near humans? Why aren't you afraid?"
The shark meandered for a few seconds, seemingly deciding If he should talk to me, and finally said: "How come you're not afraid of getting into our waters?"I frowned, but suddenly it came to me. I answered: "I guess I decided to trust you won't harm me."
He surfaced a bit more, and I could see the sun reflecting on his back. A few more circles under the water and he said: "That's right, we decided to trust. And also, your body looks weird! We get curious!"
I laughed, and both my husband and our guide looked at me as if I was crazy. I glanced at them and shrugged, and when I did, my husband smiled at me. He figured out what I was doing, so he went back asking questions to our guide and let me be (he do think I'm somewhat crazy sometimes, but he respects it).

My shark was still swimming nearby, but I could feel he was getting nervous. I asked: "What's wrong?"
He took a deep breath, looking restless, and said: "Not every human respect us. As some of you, we sharks are very sensitive beings. Getting too nervous is all it takes to get us sick, and can even kill us. Some humans don't get it, so they come here screaming and shaking the water."
I took a look around and spotted a loud group of tourists entering the water a few hundred feet behind us. Their guide didn't even seem to care, which got me mad. My shark was now slowly moving away, so I said: "I'm sorry for that, some humans still don't get it. You are amazing, thank you for this chat!"
He wandered a bit closer for a second, and said: "You will always be welcome to shark bay, not only you respected us but you also chose to listen. I wish someday you'll be all ready to listen."
As I watched him slowly swimming away for good, I smiled and added: "I guess I was curious, too! It was an honor, sharing these waters with you. Stay safe!"
In the distance, I saw his dorsal fin merging with all the others. And I was still able to hear him say, through all the tourist's noise: "We are one. I hope one day your kind will understand and accept that. I hope it happens before it's too late."

Vanessa G. Lourenço