I just came across a National Geographic photo essay featuring some so-called "giant" stingrays that were discovered in Thailand. They're kinda big, I guess. But they have nothing on the beasts that came after me while I was on vacation last month. (OK, maybe they were just minding their own business and weren't actually out to murder me.)
Here's the story. It was early in the evening, an hour or so before sundown, and I was snorkeling near a little reef. Suddenly, huge, enormous, nasty-looking stingrays began swimming all around me. Now it's important to note that I've been terrified of stingrays since I was little. I used to book it back to shore every time I saw one that was more than six inches long. My parents thought it was hilarious. (So cruel!)
These were about TEN feet long! I thought I was going to pass out. (In case you think I'm a wimp, I should point out that most "scary" creatures don't bother me much. I'm only afraid of stingrays, sharks, and millipedes. Now you all know my hidden weaknesses.)
Anyway, I made it out alive. I suspect stingrays gather in the evening to feed, so I shall be a morning snorkeler from now on.
Has anyone else had any terrifying encounters with the creatures of the deep?
24 comments:
I was five or six and I was dancing in the ocean. I think I was singing or something, too. Anyway, I couldn't see 'cause I wear glasses, and there was a GINORMOUS jellyfish (at least to a five-year-old) right by my feet. The called me back to the beach and caught the jellyfish in a bucket. After I saw it, it took me a whole year to go back in the ocean. (It was HUGE, though!)
My sister got stung by a sting ray the other day. but it was only small so she was all right. Oh, i the other day i stepped on a sea urchin. it was dead though.
I've only been to the sea once since I live in ohio (which is a dreary place to live) but when we were there we collected a ton of these small, dead jellyfish and made patterns with them in the sand.
yes, to me the big giant threatning sea creature was my hairy(and shes a female!)gym teacher in a swimsuit in our school pool when she was teaching me how to swim(it was unsucessful after this i never go to pools again)
I don't have any extreme fear-factor sea creature tales, but one of my friends is so scared of sharks! Her parents recorded a tape of her screaming in the shower because she thought she saw a shark.
: )
I know...
That......is a big stingray...in the black and white picture....that.....is..big...
I've never had close encounters with things like that...MY LIFE IS TOO NORMAL! MUST BREAK FREE!!!...
I thought I saw a Great White Shark once when I was surfing. I think it was a false alarm though.
Gasp! This is letting me leave comments!
Once in South Caroline there was a huge moving rock in the ocean. It had eyes, and was very scary.
sadly, no i haven't ever had an encounter with a scary ocean animal!
( but i almost drowned in my backyard pool ( please don't ask!))
I think I stepped on a sting ray once because I was in the water walking and I stepped on something slimy and rubbery. I screamed and jumped onto my dad, who was safely on the float. Not cool. And I am scared to death of jellyfish.
Hey ananka, did you see this:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/science/AP-New-Zealand-Colossal-Squid.html?ref=science
Giant Squid Has Biggest Animal Eyes in World= Woooohooo!!!
sweet... he he he weird laugh.
-Zero
I have a friend scared of dolphins. Yea, I know. She also hates jellyfish because she stepped on a dead one.
This is random but thats what this blog is about so here goes...
Does anyone else think that USA Today smells like pickles?
My mom almost got stung by a stingray before (in SeaWorld! XDD). And uhh... I think I said this before, my sister cut her foot on a rock while snorkling and got chased by a shark (a baby one, thankfully tho!) No scary encounters of the sea creatures with me... Well, I pocked a dead jellyfish before (I didn't get shocked tho.. ^^').. It was squishy and slimy.
Oh yeah! Happy Children's Day (a Chinese holiday on May 1st, the kids get a week off from school)!
I really can undersrtand why your scared of them! I'm scared off most big creatures. But aside from that, I'm not a very scared person.
OMG... That was a BIG stingray!
Well, I'd be totally freaked out if I saw one of those, even though I'm usally not scared of watercreatures, except sharks... And dead spiders in the bottom of my backyard pool. They are REALLY, REALLY scary!
You know the stuff that cures acne? Is there any way to whip some up at home?
you also don`t like peeps
and my lord once i saw a shark the size of a grand piano dubbled
Hi, I just started a blog and here's the link: (I hope the link works): http://coolstuffreviewsnewsjokesetcetera.blogspot.com/
The first post is about Kiki Strike.
I almost stepped on a jellyfish once. Does that count?
Terrifying encounters? If you count the one time that someone told me the little squiggly black things on the safety-boundary ropes were leeches, then yes. But I think he was fibbing.
no. i love the ocean, i love hearing about shark attacks, and (ok, so) i do tend to get freaked out anytime I'm in a twelve ft deep pool by myself. i dunno what the deal is. but yeah.
i have other peoples stories. like my aunt was in mexico and she was in the ocean and she stepped on either a jelly, sea urchin or stingray then stepped back and fell on a stingray or jelly. and then once i was on the west coast with my cousins and grandparents and me and my cousin found this washed up dead jelly (dont ask, we are a weird family) so my cousin picked it up with a stick and flung it out into the ocean. yep, we're weird.
but besides that theres nothing to report. BUT... eh, no, nothing. WAIT! has anyone ever heard of or gone to Rock and Roll camp for girls in portland oregon? i'm going this summer and i want to know if it's as awesome as i think it is. hehe... cant wait! ~.*
Anonymous #1: Very funny! (And sad--you MUST learn to swim!)
Carry No Seal: Thank you!!!
Elizabeth: That's fabulous! I've added you to the blog list.
once in the clinch river i nearly drowned. the current got me. worst. experience. ever. i got puled under for about 10 seconds. seemed like 10 hours. i never learn though my dad took us back this year and the FIRST thing i did was get right back in the river. 8o was my my brother's face he asked me 100 times HOW i could get back in there
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