This happened to me some 3 months ago and it wasn't a very comfortable experience:
I went with 3 guys (whom one is a DB member - baracuda) to an area in southern Qatar for spearfishing. Our spot was like 1.6km from shore in the open sea and we had to do cross all of that distance by swim (as boats arent allowed in that area). In that timing of the day, current was very strong, so we made a formation of two by two, where two of our buddies went scuba down and me and DB member baracuda went free-diving and sticked close to each other. After like 20min of exhausting swim in the strong current, and just being around 400m from our spot (a group of rock formation and tiny isles) my buddy and I suddenly got separated, as if each of us got swaped by a current in a different direction. I tried to swim toward him but to no avail... So I decided to continue swimming toward the rocks but as I was approaching, current was getting stronger and stronger, and thats where I did my most exhausting swim, as when i arrived to the rock, I felt my heart was gonna stop from exhaustion !!! I rested and waited for about 1hr untill any of my buddies show up, but no1 appeared, and thats when I really started worrying about them...
After this i looked at my watch and realized its about 50mins to sunset... At this point i started thinking; either I would go and cross back to shore no matter how strong is the current, or I'd risk waiting here, till some1 pick me up, or if no1 pick me up and as it would get darker, I would swim back the next morning to the shore (As I decided not to swim back at night!)....
Anyway, i decided to risk it and swim back to the shore alone, so i started swimming back and at this time current was much milder and was slightly in the shore direction as well, so that was helping me too. After like 800m of swim from the rock where I was, I see some of the biggest groupers I ever saw in my life, some huge 1m to 1.5m groupers and really fat ones, just like saying "hello there come spear me" in areas of very beautiful coral formation, but at that time i wasnt even thinking of spearing or anything, but just to get back to shore and never do something like that again :naughty... and I also see 2 very beautiful sea turtles... (We were in a natural reserve area where commercial fishing isnt allowed and boats arent allowed in the area either so not to damage it)
I was still swimming calmly so not to get too tired, and was getting closer and closer to the shore. Now suddenly after those coral formation there was a sharp drop off and water got deeper) where I wasnt able to see the bottom (that day visibility was around 10m) I kept swimming and after like 10mins of swim in that blue water, I started seeing the bottom again and that made me more comfortable.
But after like 20m of swim from that deep dropoff part and as im looking to the barely visible bottom (being around 200m from shore), I thought I was seeing my own black shadow on the bottom of the seabed (as I was wearing a dark-blue and black lycra wetsuit). but after 3secs I just see this shadow going to the left and what I thought my shadow was at least a 2.3+m fish just lurking in the seabed. Well now depth was around 7-8m and it became clear that this shadow was a fat BULL SHARK.... I look at its thick dark grey body from its surface and its magnificent first large dorsal fin and its large and stouted body.... I have no idea for how long was this shark following me... But at this time, I was so happy that I had no fish on me (as I always used to keep fish on my weightbelt). the shark kept swimming slowly beneath me on the seabed, and I kept a clear eye on him while also continuing my swim but also holding tight to my RIFFE gun (it wasn't even loaded :head)... for the next 20sec, the shark kept swimming in the bottom, checking the reefs and the seabed, but then it suddenly took a right direction and swam away and disappeared. I continued swimming to the shore, but those last 200m seemed like 2km... As every 2 sec I would do a 360degree check around me for that bull but i never saw him again.... and after few mins i was on shore...
Clearly that shark had no interest in me or whatsoever,,, but still just me being swapped by the current, having to swim 1.6km in open sea while being alone, and having no idea what happened to my mates, and finallly encountering a bullshark just before reaching the shore!!!! it was hell of a day!!! exciting; as that was my wildest swim in my life, and i never saw a big sized shark b4, and frightening as well; as I had no idea of what to except, and all kind of thoughts started coming to me: my family, my wife, friends etc....
Anyway still after I arrived shore, I didnt see my buddies, and after like 20mins of wait with no signs of them, and as it got darker and darker, I decided to call the police and they sent coastguards with their speed boat... My buddies were swapped further down by the current; but at least they were spearing and having fun some !!! Well I had fun too in a special way, and we all had a nice story to share and to talk for the next couple of days !!!!
Since that day, I never keep fish on my weighbelt, (unless hunting in very shallow and clear water) but I always keep my stringer to a float line that is attached to my gun through 30m of line... And I' ve been back to that area plenty of times but when we dive, we are always extra-careful of timing the current and planning our free-dives and spearing accordingly and I also try as much as possible not to spearfish or dive alone :t:t:t:t
Regards !
