As we descend, we spot the shadows of two blacktip reef sharks. Upon approach, they tail us like a pair of friendly grouper. One comes in tight to my lens, where I’m granted great close-up shots accompanied by my own heart-thumping theme song. And while I play it cool, I’m starting to think these guys are hanging around a little too long. But in the ocean, they are the cool kids. It doesn’t take much time for them to grow bored with us and move on to find something more exciting. As for me, it’s only the first day and I couldn’t be more in awe.
For more on this encounter, check out Diving with the Cool Kids: Aboard the Sun Dancer II Belize.