The ocean has a way of teaching us all Mother Nature is really in charge, not us. We pitiful humans can have grandiose schemes of controlling and manipulating the oceans, but they always seems to win in the end. Note especially the painfully long and arduous process of trying to cap the leaking well in the Gulf (graphically portrayed and ‘splained by Daisyfae here).
On my recent adventure to Costa Rica, there were a couple dive experiences that reminded me of this as well.
On one dive, I got to dive on a wreck of a fishing boat. It wasn’t too deep…60 feet or so. And the boat had been down there long enough that the ocean (and likely treasure hunting or salvaging scuba divers) had devoured all but the shell of the boat. What struck me as ironic was that this boat, built and used for the sole purpose of dragging the fish from the sea, gasping, in order to feed the humans on shore…was now happily populated by schools of hundreds of fish. What once was the bane of the fish, was now respite and cover for whole herds* of them!
Now owning the Captain's wheel house...
The ocean is winning...
Home sweet boat
The second event was when my deputy, adjacent, assistant, auxiliary dive buddy got caught in a wave surge underwater while taking pictures. The surge drove her into the coral face where we were diving. Not too roughly, actually. But, unfortunately, right into a large sea urchin.
Looking something like this one...
She thought she’d been cut on the knee, as it hurt like a mother. But, an examination underwater of the site revealed no blood (thus preventing her from being chum for the local sharks). However, on return to the surface, when she removed her swim skin? Here’s what she found…
Ewww....
Each blackened mark had a little spike embedded in it. And it still hurt like the dickens (well, she said it did…I felt fine, thanks for asking [chortle]). The next day, it looked like this – – –
Tattooed for life?
Still looked nasty, but feeling much better. The following day, the black dots began to disappear. No permanent scarring.
Great fun, still. And will definitely be going again.
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*Yes, I know it’s ‘schools’…I just enjoy mixing my metaphors, phrases, and stuff like that. You know, a penny saved is worth two in the bush.
Tags: isn't it ironic?, respect the ocean, sleeping with the fishes, when urchins attack
The Wilds of Ohio 
July 5, 2010 at 21:34 |
Ouch indeed! While in rural France queenwilly, The King and I were all attacked by ticks. I found one dangerously close to my labia…..
July 6, 2010 at 02:14 |
I was spike by one of those little buggers once. Not. Nice. And it does, indeed, hurt like the dickens. Although who dickens is and why he’s so hurty, I don’t know.
July 6, 2010 at 07:04 |
what amazes me is that when diving, we only get to see a teeny-tiny portion of the oceans surface. i like to believe it’s a big ol’ freaky fish party down deep! i had a brush with fire coral, and that was enough. don’t wanna get spiked by an urchin – street or sea.
July 6, 2010 at 08:12 |
No thanks… bet that hurts as much as it looks like it hurts.
July 6, 2010 at 12:48 |
just when we humans think we’re invincible, Mother Nature bits us in the ass or thigh as the case may be.
July 6, 2010 at 14:54 |
Spiked in the drink. Definitely ironic.
July 6, 2010 at 15:36 |
I’ve never been speared by them, but I’ve eaten them before, and I didn’t like them. Yuck. Uni – it’ the only sushi I don’t really like.
July 7, 2010 at 20:34 |
nursemyra – ummm… just how close is ‘dangerously’? you know, forewarned is forearmed or some such?
dolce – i think dickens got that way from having to live in the Victorian Era.
daisyfae – yeah, it makes me feel like a gnat on an elephant… there’s just so much of it. but those street urchins can be cute, remember.
stephanie – hell, it didn’t hurt me a bit. so, i was annoying and tried to poke at it. then it hurt when her backhand smacked me across the face.
hisqueen – i guess the key is to always maintain a bit of respect for the ol’ gal, huh?
kyknoord – maybe a roofie would’ve been to my benefit.
writerdood – they never seem to have it at the local sushi places (surprising, considering how close we are to the ocean…NOT).
July 7, 2010 at 21:40 |
The moss takes over the wreck, just like the trees take over the city in ‘The Day of the Triffids’. “Thalata, Thalata”, the sea, the sea … home to all creatures, great and spiky!
July 8, 2010 at 20:13 |
mitzi – hey, you’re waxing poetic! you’re drunk, right?
July 10, 2010 at 08:46 |
Oh, ouch!
July 10, 2010 at 08:50 |
s. le – nope, i felt fine, thank you. she was just being a baby, letting 10 little burning, spiky, hot pokes hurt her.