There I was, 40 feet underwater, living my best scuba-diving life in the Great Barrier Reef. The water was crystal clear, schools of fish swirled around me like an underwater traffic jam, and a giant sea turtle gave me a slow, judgmental side-eye as it glided past.
Everything was perfect—until I turned my head and found myself way too close to a reef shark. Now, let’s be clear: reef sharks are basically the golden retrievers of the shark world—curious, mostly harmless, and not out to eat humans. But in that moment, my brain didn’t care about logic. My immediate thought was: Welp, this is how I go.
The shark, completely unbothered, cruised past, ignoring my awkward attempt at backing away in slow-motion flailing. My dive buddy? Laughing so hard bubbles were shooting out of her regulator. Turns out, I had just made the most dramatic reaction to the chillest shark in the ocean.
After my heart rate returned to normal, I spent the rest of the dive marveling at the coral formations, neon-colored fish, and the absolute magic of being weightless in the ocean.
Moral of the story? Sharks are cool. Always check behind you. And if a turtle throws shade at you, take it personally.