What’s your biggest fear; something so paralyzing that it gives you shivers just thinking about it? Just two years ago, I was so desperately afraid of marine life that the sight of a minnow sent me in the opposite direction. I loved to swim and I spent my entire life in the water, but I could never even think about what lurked below. I was curious but too afraid. Today was a monuments day for attacking my fears head-on. I walked with 22 sharks, 20 feet under water with Sea Trek at Atlantis, Bahamas and a state-of-the-art clear-glass helmet and I will never look at my fears the same way again.
It was intense at first. Just putting my legs in shark infested water. Being exposed! Then, I had to walk down the ladder and stop on every second step to acclimate my ears. My back was to them. They could attack at any second and I wouldn’t even see it coming. It’s not like the rules of engagement where you can’t shoot an unarmed civilian. It’s the exact opposite. These guys prey on the weak and dying. I was shaking so badly that every step seemed even further apart. Do you know how difficult it is to walk down a ladder with a 70 pound helmet on your head to a tank full of sharks while trying to acclimate your ears and hold on to the rails? I’m a great multitasker but this was a little much.
When I finally did turn around and get a good look around, I wasn’t given a few minutes to adjust calmly at the bottom of the tank. Nope, three of them were swimming right toward me. Their sleek, graceful bodies and menacing eyes on the hunt. It seemed like they were swimming for me. Would they turn away? Was this it? It was a lot to take in all at once.
They turned. Thankfully, they turned. I was shaking so badly that I couldn’t walk. All this and not even 5 minutes had gone by. What was I thinking? I couldn’t survive 30 minutes down here; I’d be lucky to survive the heart attack that I was going to have so I really didn’t need to worry that much about the sharks.
I tried to separate myself from the situation. I thought about the big glass helmet. It was like a looking glass. The sharks were on one side and I was on the other. I was safe. It gave me a false sense of security but it was exactly what I needed. For the next two minutes, I thought of myself as being on the other side of the glass like at an aquarium. I was safely on my side while they were on the other.
The ground was somewhat distorted too depending on how you looked through the glass and it was confusing. It was like a bad dream, a nightmare, filled with my biggest fear and hazed vision. I just kept thinking… they can’t hurt me. They are on the other side of the glass.
But then I started walking and I thought… my legs are exposed; no wait, I’m exposed. They are all around me. I can’t even tell if one is going to attack. I started looking around more and turning my body. I lost focus. When I looked ahead, my guide was dancing. Not metaphorically, literally. He was sliding his feet on the bottom, bouncing a little and moving his arms, smiling. I started to laugh and he grabbed my arms and started making me dance. He gave me the thumbs up sign and I did the same and somehow it was actually true. I was ok. We were dancing on the bottom of the shark tank and I was ok.
The sharks were all around us but had no interest in us. I can remember the exact moment my breathing changed. I put my hand down after giving the ok sign and I turned my head slightly to the right. Two sharks were coming around the corner and I looked one directly in the eye. His eyes were shifting and he didn’t even make eye contact with me. I was non-existent and I was happy with that. Rather than seeing this massive shark as aggressive, I noticed how gracefully he moved through the water. I realized I had nothing to fear. It was like a dog but in water. Something had changed for me. With knowledge and interaction, I realized I had nothing to fear.
I continued the rest of the walk, almost 20 more minutes, with a huge smile on my face. I was experiencing sometime only a select few will ever get to experience; not just walking with sharks, but overcoming my greatest fear. I will continue to attack fear head on because the results are beautiful and worthwhile in itself.
Bucket List Publications 
Leaving my job and pursue what I really want to do…
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Pretty cool you were able to do that.
People tell me I am nuts when I tell them my shark stories. I am not crazy and no one wants to get bitten. With time, like you said, you can read them like a dog. 99% percent of the time they are mostly curious and have no interest in you.
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It’s good to face fears head on even if that means jumping into a tank of sharks! Very cool; I’d love to do that!
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Congratulations on this most amazing experience. If we all face our fears, ultimately, we will rejoice and dance as you did. Thank you for showing us how.
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Wow. Just… wow!
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Good for you, and well done!
My biggest fear is not jumping when it’s my turn.
Into whatever it may be…
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Sounds like such an amazing experience, wow!
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Good for you Lesley. By your description I think that is a big tick off your list! I’m somewhat fearful of sky diving. Any tips for that one?
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Have you considered trying an indoor sky diving experience first?
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This is amazing! I love adventure and would love to tread on something unexpected but keep giving myself the same age old excuses of no money, no time. So glad to see someone doing something different 🙂 Kudos to you.
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Amazing!!! I am suppose to be doing a cage dive in Hawaii in March. I was thinking about backing out, but you have convinced me! Awesome post!
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Driving past 100 miles per hour on a race track is something I haven’t done yet. But no, I haven’t swam with sharks either. I admire you.
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Well done 🙂
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A snake is enough to scare me like a stone
>
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That is incredible! Thank you for sharing your story and thank you for the inspiration!
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We all have our fears and you was so very brave to face your own fear.
This make you grow mentally and give you the chance to face other kind of fears without being so scared from beginning.
Very well done Lesley and thanks for sharing and the beautiful photos.
Irene
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OMG, good for you! I can’t image walking with sharks. Had goosebumps just reading this. So, so cool. I’ll bet you’re were riding a high the rest of the day, eh? My biggest fear, beyond the usual: bears on the running trails, being charged by moose, getting lost in the mountains, etc., is that I’ll look back on my life with regret. Never want that to happen, which is why I read your blog, you know, for the inspiration. Cheers and keep it up.
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I have the same fear, I’ve always loved the sea but tried not to think about what was in it. Sharks are my biggest fear. I’ve slowly come accustomed to them over the years, they keep popping up everywhere, but I think I’d still rather dance in a tank with minnows than voluntarily get in a tank with a shark. I consider fearing sharks a rational fear 🙂 So well done you!
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What a fantastic experience for you! I’m very jealous. I conquered my fear of being in water at all a few years ago and now love swimming but I’ve always wanted to do more deep sea kind of diving. To go walking with sharks is just something I wouldn’t have conceived was a possibility! It’s now on my bucket list 😉
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I absolutely love this!!! Conquering your fears can be so liberating..But, I gotta tell you I’d be scared not so much of the fish but that I would panic and drown myself in that giant helmet you have there!
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Great experience… we see that in your smile! 😀
Thanks for sharing.
Last summer, i swam with dolphins, in the ocean… was amazing. But the first thought i had before entering in the water was about the possibility of a “meeting” with sharks… No problem, it never happened.
Next summer, i want to repeat that experience. 😀
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This is incredible! What an amazing experience! I wish I could think of more to say, but I’m a little in awe at the moment. Congrats to you on taking this plunge.
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quit job and go travelling :D. but thanks for sharing.
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What an incredible experience – I’d have more of a problem with the helmet on my head than being in with the sharks. That scares me more!! 🙂
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Wow incredible! Well done! I doubt I would ever be able to do that! What made you decide to do this? How did you manage to step into the tank?! Such bravery, well done for facing your fears head on and with a smile! 🙂
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WOW – that is totally awesome. I can’t believe you did that. So cool that you were actually in the water with all of those sharks.
My biggest fear? Meeting Jimmy Dean. Snorts and shivers. XOXO – Bacon
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Bravo! Not sure I could do it but that is so cool that you faced your fears with courage.
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Water is my biggest fear and right up there are big creatures who live there. Nice to read about your experiences, not without a little hand-wringing, because I will NEVER try this. Keep up the good work, Leslie. 😀
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my dream not come true
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awesome! My fear of the sharks would only be superseded by my fear of being trapped beneath the water’s surface! Claustrophobic, and nearly drowned twice as a child. I CAN swim under water, but going deep with breathing apparatus – now that’s a different story. Congrats, proud for you.
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Congrats on facing your fear. Doing so shows how much of the issue is mental, and not reality.
Biggest fear is failure.
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Fantastic experience 🙂 , the dancing part was so interesting
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Wow that was amazing!! I couldn’t do that but it’s not my greatest fear. My greatest fear is not being deeply loved.
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This picture would be my greatest fear. No way I’d get in there with them. I admire your bravery. Thanks for liking my post about the York Dungeon. It is indeed a scary place! You’d love it! Much love and light to you and have a blessed day! Queen Of Hearts
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Inspiring!
When I was a kid I used to play in huge sections of pipe in the train yard (we weren’t supposed to be there). An optical illusion creates the other end to be smaller than it really is. I would start in, see that the other end was too small and back out. It didn’t matter that my older brother crawled through without a problem, or that I could see from the outside both ends were the same size. I know about the illusion now, but I developed a fear of being in confined spaces. I love caves, but don’t want to go in one. After reading your experience, I think I’ll give it a try.
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Now this looks fantastic,
Sure it was a great experience,something to look forward to.
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Fire. My house burning down is my greatest fear and I hope I never have to face it. You did a great job of facing yours though, wow!
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Eaten by sharks, bears, cougars… Stuff like that. 🙂
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What an amazing post. You are amazing….good for you and what an amazing experience.
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Would you believe….drowning? Have had 3-4 “opportunities” in my life already! That…and “being taken advantage of”…in the worst possible ways…by people.
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Wow, kudos lady!
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Awesome !!
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In the course of my life, have nearly drowned twice, so this is not on my bucket list … but it’s fun to live vicariously through you. Is there anything you ARE afraid of at this point?
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How exciting! I swam with sharks in Bora Bora- and ever since Jaws I’ve been afraid of being attacked by a big shark. Most were small but there were some 9 footers cruising slowly below. I was nervous because I had just been bitten by a sting ray (yes bitten) so I was bleeding a very little. No one had ever been attacked by the sharks but who gets bit by a sting ray? so I was worried I would be that first one to be bitten- hehe
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Fantastic Blog!
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That’s pretty cool. Oar fish and other deep water creatures just give me the creeps. Something about the fact that they live in the darkness and… Well any way. Awesome post!
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Congrats on facing your fears, Lesley! Think I’m gonna add this to my list!:) Pretty cool…. – Donna
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This is amazing! I’d like to try experiencing this one day. The thought of sharks makes me shake!
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Great post. Good for you! As a child living in Brooklyn, I used to jump the roofs. Literally, jump from one roof top to the next roof top. Dumb! At 19, I had a fall from a second story. Have Been afraid of heights ever since. Trying to overcome this phobia. Good read, brave one. 🙂 Blessings.
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Well done! You should be proud of yourself 🙂 First time I was swimming with sharks in the Maldives, I was very nervous too, but I think they are more afraid of us than we are of them. All the best xo
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Wow! Proud of you Lesley! :).
I’m pretty much the same way you were with the minnows. Lol I have a fish tank at home and I hesitate to put my hand in there. Thanks for the inspiration.
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