Swimming in the Dark

Swimming in the sea in Cassis is a delicious delight for me. Whenever I'm there, I aim to take the plunge at least twice a day. Are you the type to wade in gradually, or do you dive right in? I prefer to jump right in.

Cassis' beach is not sandy; instead, it is full of pebbles.

 

 

Lately, I have entertained the thought of swimming at night, but something about that dark water and sky made me question what lay underneath.

 

Today, I did my usual jump-in. There weren't as many people in the water as there usually are. The sea was crystal clear. I swam out further than I typically do. I looked at my feet and wondered how deep it was below me, and I saw something brown; assuming it was a rock, but as I looked at it closer, I saw that it was moving and then realized it was a stingray. I shrieked. A brief thought went through my head," I am never going to swim at night."

 

Photo via wiki.

The first thing I did when I arrived home was look up stingrays. It said the stingrays are a shy fish. It said they don't attack unless they feel threatened. I thought out loud. OK, I was in a bright pink swimsuit, wiggling like a worm. I guess I thought I wasn't delicious enough. Thank God for small miracles.

Would you swim at night in the dark sea??

 

 

Comments

[Kathie B]

"Would you swim at night in the dark sea??"

Hell, no.

BTW, it was a stingray that killed animal conservationist Steve Irwin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Steve_Irwin

[Kathie B]

P.S. Would you really want your grandchildren to have to be told that Vovó died while swimming in the sea at night?

[g]

I would love to swim at night ...when I stand on the beach by our home on the new jersey coast and i look at that endless black ocean and the equally dark sky sprinkled with stars so bright -even with a very bright full moon illuminating the entire beach and the water-- i still could not do it-- I want to, but i cannot--- it seems so much more .... mysterious at night. when i look at the sky at night and there is no artificial lights-- i am also in awe of its black vastness-this feeling is especially intense on the top deck of a cruise ship-- where at night everything is black- except for all those beautiful stars.

[Lil]

Problem is not being able to see the bottom at night. You saw the stingray below you. What if it were in shallower water in the dark where you might step on it? I guess you could make a shallow dive from the shore and not put your feet down. But of course then you still have to get out of the water.

[marilyn]

You were very brave. I don't think I would swim at night in the sea. I might wade, but no diving into the deep. I remember when I was young swimming out so far into the sea that the people looked very tiny on shore. I could tell they were waving their arms to come back and I did feel something sweep by my legs; but I was young and more daring. I wouldn't do that now. I would definitely swim at night in a swimming pool or I might float on a floaty in the sea at night, but no dangling legs! Yikes!

[Franki]

In my youth,I swam once in the dark in Honolulu,fully clothed and ruined a new brocade evening dress The'gold'threads turned green.Here in Oz,I'd never swim in overcast or dark (rhymes with shark).

[Alan]

I once jumped into the Mississippi River at night. Stupid thing to do. I could feel the current pulling me strongly down river. Good thing I was young, strong, and stupid. If I were old as I am now and stupid, I would have drowned.

[carol]

Never!

[Diogenes]

I have no problem swimming at night...in a chlorinated pool. I did a night dive in Cozumel once and that was plenty to satisfy my curiosity. If you go to Xel-Ha you can swim with the stingrays during the day.