The morning did not start off the way I had wanted it to. My original intention had been to take my motorcycle via ferry out to Tonaki Island. However at the ferry terminal I was told that there was only one ferry a day to Tonaki, so I would have to spend the night on the island.
With my plans for the day shot down, I walked outside and noticed a brochure rack advertising day trips to the tiny island of Nagannu. Having always wondered what the island was like, I paid the steep 6,000 yen price for a ticket out there (Ticket includes round trip ferry ride and lunch. You can buy beer on the island, but its a bit expensive.)
After a 20 minute boat ride, I made for the western tip of the island. Having passed this island on Kenji's boat several times, I knew there was a coral reef at the islands western tip. Since most commercial fishing is forbidden close to the island, the reef was in great shape.
Surrounded by fish, I began to wonder where the predators were. As I swam around the side of the reef, I spotted a White Tip Shark. It was my first time seeing a shark. Thinking the shark could hear my heartbeat, I tried to remain calm and began to take pictures of it.
The shark then spotted me and at first swam towards me. It then turned around and swam under a rock. As I swam closer to the rock, I watched as two White Tip Sharks poked their heads out and looked at me.
I was now a good ways from shore, alone in the ocean, with two sharks looking at me. With my heart racing, I began to swim back towards the beach fearing that at any moment one of the sharks was going to swim up from behind me and take a bite out of my leg.
The bite never came. For the rest of the day I harassed the local wildlife, stayed close to shore, and enjoyed more then a few Orion Beers.
Nagannu Island, Okinawa
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