Crawfishing in Paradise
Facebook is an amazing application. I have spent the last week posting photographs of my two trips to the Bahamas to Facebook. Many of us from both of those trips were able to reconnect and it has been such a fun week getting back in touch with everyone. Just from this experience alone I recommend you get it if you do not already have it.
I was fifteen when I first went to the Bahamas and nineteen during my second trip. On the first trip I spent the first part of the summer in the town of Crown Haven, Little Abaco Island, toiling in the heat, drinking pump water and using an outhouse. The second half of that summer was spent doing what most people would expect. I spent it with dear friends in Nichols Town on Andros Island having fun, swimming and deep sea fishing. There are many tales I could tell about each of the three Islands I spent time on and each of the two trips. However, I was reminded of one story in particular and decided I would tell that story. During the second part of my first trip I stayed with the Jensen family. Paul and Jane Jensen, along with their two daughters Karen and Susan lived in the same community of Northfield Township in the northern suburbs of Chicago as my family. Karen, Sue, my brothers Shervin and Shahrom spent many a night watching TV, listening to music or playing games while our parents were in their Bahá’í Assembly meeting. Just prior to my trip to the Bahamas, the Jensen’s moved to Andros Island. Now that the cast of characters are in place, I want to mention one more thing. I have a fairly good memory. The following story is completely true from my perspective, it reflects what I know happened from my perspective but there are parts that I remember as they were related to me, as you will see.
CRAYFISHING IN PARADISE
Whenever we were to go fishing we would all wade out to the boat and then off to the ocean. The boat was a nice boat and Mr. Jensen mentioned many things about the boat including testing fate by calling it unsinkable. It seems to me there was another vessel that held that claim but was proven wrong. In this case, however, we never had it put to the test. Mr. Jensen also had a new, state of the art, sonar detector that could tell you what was in the water below the boat which supposedly would aid in fishing. In this particular case it did not matter as we weren’t going traditional fishing. There are a few stories about that I could tell but will leave it for another time. I was a bit reticent to go into the water as my first experience upon jumping in the water was to be looking face to face with a large barracuda. This time we were going to go spear fishing and our victims were to be crayfish. What we called crayfish there was very similar to lobster here except without the claws. Their image is burned into my memory and I will never forget how big they were.
It was a bright and sunny day and we were many miles out into the ocean. Mr. and Mrs. Jensen were in the water with their spears and Karen, Sue and I remained on the boat. Mr. Jensen would appear form time to time with a crayfish and put it into the hold. Karen was sunbathing on the bow and I was sitting at the helm with my feet up and eyes closed enjoying the sound of the ocean and the feel of the air blowing across my face.
As I was sitting there I would hear some sloshing sound and thought nothing of it. But as time went by I started to wonder what was happening as the sound was coming from behind me and it seemed to be coming from inside the boat. I finally decided to ask Susan what was happening. I remember asking her what she was doing and she said that she could not see the “fish” and was scooping out water from the holding tank into the ocean so that she could see them better. I remember telling her that that “was not a good idea” but without connecting any more dots than that. It would all come to roost soon enough.
The sloshing having stopped it was back to peace and quiet, or so I thought. It was not long after that moment that Mrs. Jensen broke above the surface and screamed “Shark!” Well, needless to say, we all jumped into action. I started the boat and Karen brought in the anchor and we took the boat close to Mrs. Jensen who was then joined by Mr. Jensen. Without further incident Mr. and Mrs. Jensen were aboard and we learned what had transpired.
Now, this part is my recollection of what happened as I heard it from Mrs. Jensen. I am sure that she may have more to say or she may have a different take on it. However, I recall her saying that she was in the process of spearing her first crayfish and was quite successful finally in getting one. It was at that moment of triumph that a shark came up, took spear and crayfish, in its mouth, and wrestled it away from Mrs. Jensen.
As we were about to head back home Mrs. Jensen suggested to Mrs. Jensen that they might want to retrieve the spear. I don’t recall Mr. Jensen’s response but it was clear no one was going back into the water for the spear.
posted by Shiidon at 11:38 PM
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