Yesterday I got into the local fresh-water lake, expecting indigenous game-fish, like bass to be my companions.
WTF?!?
A foot-long, bright orange, double-fantail goldfish is swimming five feet under me! Then along come two more of his brethren and I’m wondering if I haven’t entered an atomic aquarium. What’s next, a six-foot snail?
I had a territorial fish of some sort f with me during my practice swim at IMFL! Kept thinking my toes were bait!
Sharks, skates, dolphins, bluefish, striped bass, minnow-like fish, horse-shoe craps, blue-clawed crabs, jellyfish (lion’s mane and man-o-war), people, anchors/rope, clams, and probably other things I can’t think of.
Haven’t seen too much, but have had interesting experiences.
hit a dead bird while swimming at Ohio St beach in Chicago last night
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I usually see lots of stingrays
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11 years ago I was doing a practice swim in Malibu for the Nautica Malibu tri. I had rounded the 1’st marker and was swimming parallel to shore. 2 fins went by me between me and the shore. My 1’st thought was sharks and I literally walked on the water to shore. My wife and brother were on shore thinking the same thing, but it turns out they were dolphins. (the life guard told us how to tell the difference) Scared the crap out of me. I did not do another salt water tri until this year.
I saw stingrays and (very small) jellyfish on some pre-race swims at IMFL in '07.
Closer to home, in Connestoga Lake I turned my head left for a breath and saw the bow of a small sailboat about 2 meters from my face. That got the heart rate up.
On a fresh water swim last year I was going along and a snapping turtle as big as a trash can lid swam under me from my 2 o’clock about 4 feet down. Scared the bejezus out of me!!
Yesterday I got into the local fresh-water lake, expecting indigenous game-fish, like bass to be my companions.
WTF?!?
A foot-long, bright orange, double-fantail goldfish is swimming five feet under me! Then along come two more of his brethren and I’m wondering if I haven’t entered an atomic aquarium. What’s next, a six-foot snail?
I think those are gold carp, not goldfish, but I could be wrong. Like these?
Swimming in a local lake recently, I stopped to rest. Coming towards me were two Great Blue Herons, one of which flew right at me and landed in a tree just above me. Really cool to see the approach and landing up close.
Oh, and once on a kayak trip in the Bahamas, I swam back from a drift dive to the dive boat (supposedly a half mile, but it was further). At one point, I looked straight down and there was a barracuda swimming along about 30’ down. Stayed with me for quite a while, as I wondered if I was wearing any bright sparkly things.
In Lake Geneva Wi. I often see whales in the water.
When I lived near the ocean I’d see harbor seals just about every time I went out. If I took a rest I might see one bobbing a short distance away. My kayaker said that while I swam along they’d pop up an look in my direction like, ‘wtf is this guy up to?’
Of course, great whites have been sighted where I was swimming, so, I guess it’s when you don’t see the seals that you should worry…
Having done a bunch of mile swims in the ocean off of new jersey ( and the water is very clean), I have seen a total of 1 small striped bass desperately trying to get out of my way as i ran out of the surf.
It makes me even more convinced that people worried about sharks should worry more about cars while they are biking.
a schoolbus
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A squirl wearing scuba gear, a star fish walking around, a pinapple, and a sponge with pants (kind of square shaped).
Living in Panama City Florida I get in alot of open water swims, we have seen all kinds of fish, but the best has got to be the sea turtle I saw last year. I was also swimming with my training partner when a remora attached itself to his wetsuit. Well he freaked and said “aren’t those things attached to sharks? That means a shark is near!” I about busted a gut laughing at how fast he got out of the water!
i’m pretty sure i saw that bird fly into a guys back wheel.
unless it’s a weird coincidence, same bird
Saw a used magnum sized condom floating down the Hudson while waiting in my AG corral last year. What you saw were probably carp.
I’m jealous you got to see a sea turtle. Just ordinary dolphins and such for me.
Saw a used magnum sized condom floating down the Hudson…
Ah, the Coney Island Whitefish.
Ick.