[fpernett]

Hi Nicky,
I think we all have fears.
When I was very young I was afraid from Jason Voorhees (Friday 13th). I started to see a lot of terror films and now they make me laugh.
When I was 8 I saw a Nurse Shark (my first shark), and came to surface as a torpedo. When I was 9 I saw my first barracuda swimming to an Island at 1.5 kms from shore. I saw it at 100 meters from the Island, and couldn't pass over her (for me is female) and swam back 1.4 kmts.
After this experiences I saw many sharks (lemon, tiger, oceanic white tip, gray.. and nurse, off course). This experiences were very exciting but I allways saw them as ghosts, they come from nothing and quickly disappear in the blue or the reef. I noticed that every time I saw a shark usually run after it, to see it more time, and sometimes I did very foolish things. For me, they become as pets.
Last year, My brother, a friend (spearo) and me was attacked by two gray sharks (without consecuences) because my friend doesn't want to give the fishes to the shark guys, as soon as he gave them the food, the situation improve. When I was in the boat, the last thing I wanted to do was to come back to the ocean, but the anchor was stucked and somebody have to release it. I did it, but when I get back in the water I saw the biggest one to get closer very fast. I jump like a whale and get back in the boat. Nobody wants to get in, and my brother suggest to cut the line and leave the anchor there. After 10 minutes I thought: if I don't get in the water now, I'll never leave my fear. So I dove down as fast as I can, looking all around, release the anchor and recover my confidence.
From that experience I stop thinking about sharks as pets. They are animals (beautiful animals in fact), and deserve our respect, not our fear, they are not maneaters. And also think that facing your fears is the best way to beat them.
What is my advice?
Get soon into the water, is safer than inland