Nicole Life Achievement Update

Many off you know of Nicole's acute - though entirely unfounded - fear of sharks. This fear boarders on paranoia as she has been known to suspect swimming pools of containing sharks.

At our current villa on Koh Tao there is insanely good snorkeling right off the beach. Within feet of the shore we have observed nearly hundreds of species of marine animals all negotiating untouched coral gardens. Also worthy of note is the proximity of our beach to Shark Island, known for the abundance of black-tip sharks that encircle its shores.

Approximately one hour into our first trip off the beach Nicole was enjoying a new found confidence in her ability to snorkel without experiencing a panic attack. This was until we were approached by a five-foot (a conservative estimate) black-tip shark. This species is docile and is not a threat to humans, however Nicole viewed it as a direct threat to her life. Within seconds I found myself alone in facing the shark as Nicole had put her back to the shore, me at her front and was thrusting me towards the 'aquatic killing machine'. As the shark approached I could feel her grip tightening and she would later tell me that her heart was beating uncontrollably. Not surprisingly the shark swam past without incident.

Nicole continued to grip my arm tightly as we returned to the shore. On subsequent snorkeling journeys (yes, she has actually returned to the water) we have encountered two more sharks, none however as large as the first.

No time for a complete post, but we will try again soon.

Bye for Now,

Joe and Nicole