Claudia and the Sharks
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'I’ve never been afraid of sharks. They are among the most elegant swimmers in the ocean.
There are some exceptions. The Great White has got a face that only a mother could love.'
Island Summer
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Claudia spent many early mornings hunting bats with her camera. They had complicated wings and hooky ‘hands’. Our garden was full of food for them and for us — fruiting banana trees, cannon-ball-sized breadfruit, taro, soursop and limes. Piglets fussed and rooted for fallen fruit below, following their mum.
Read MoreThe Ride Home 2.
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The little boat was sunk in the water to its gunwales, the sea a few inches from my resting arm. I smiled up at ‘Ana and Mathiu as a wooden pallet was put onto the roof of the boat. Perhaps there were also a couple of passengers up there. “That’s your life-raft if you need it,” laughed ‘Ana as the pallet passed over my head.
Read MoreThe Ride Home
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The island boat was a sturdy gun metal cruiser, not large but strong. Its bottom slapped loudly over the waves. Lan was driving. I remembered him from my days working in the islands. He knew the ocean there like a city kid knows a peak-hour crowd.
Read MoreThe Man who Swam with Humpbacks
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"I was scared the first time I jumped in with humpbacks, that’s for sure. I’d seen them coming down towards us. And I just thought: I wouldn’t mind having a look, just see what these things look like underwater. So I put a mask and snorkel on and swam out a little bit from the boat and waited."
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