“I need to feed the pups before we go out on the water,” I said, kicking off my sandals and stepping into the pool. “You want to try?”
“Pups? That's water. Pups are dogs.” He stood on the edge looking at the four little sharks swimming lazily around the pen.
I laughed and set the bucket down, stepping out of the pool to take his hand. He frowned, but he slid off his shoes. He followed me until he was knee-deep in the water before he stopped moving. I let go of his hand and kept going. “Just come stand here. I'll bring one to you. They can't hurt you. They're too little.”
“Yeah, you say that until Mama Jaws comes to rescue them,” he muttered under his breath.
I waded out to where one of the baby nurse sharks was resting in the sun. The little shark let me catch her easily, and I brought her over to show Noah.
I flipped the tiny gray shark over so he could see her tummy. “Look at the spots,” I told him. “Aren’t they cute?”
Noah raised his eyebrows at the idea of a shark being 'cute', but he looked at her anyway. A little smile came over his face as he saw the tiny, dark polka dots on the creamy underside of the little shark. “They are kind of cute.”
“Go ahead and touch them. She won't hurt you,” I coaxed. Noah looked at me with his blue eyes big as saucers before reaching out a tentative hand to stroke her skin. The shark held still, letting him caress her.
“She’s rough and soft at the same time,” he whispered, his smile widening. “What kind of shark is she?”
“She's a nurse shark. Even full grown, she isn't a threat to humans. She likes to eat crustaceans, mollusks, small fish, and stingrays.” I turned the shark back over, letting Noah stroke her back. One of the small lemon sharks came over to investigate, but Noah was too involved in the nurse shark to notice. “You want to hold her?”
Noah's smile faltered slightly, but he nodded, holding out his hands. His jaw was tight, but the smile and the excitement in his eyes was enough to tell me he was enjoying the adrenaline rush of holding an apex predator in his hands. I put the little shark on his outstretched fingers.
“How big will she get?” he asked, breathless.
“Up to fourteen feet and seven-hundred and thirty pounds.”
“Whoa.” Noah stared at the little two foot baby in his hands.
The little shark only stayed for a moment before swishing her powerful tail and swimming off into the deeper water. Noah barked a laugh and pointed at her. His eyes shone with excitement. I loved encounters like this: letting someone who was afraid of sharks experience them in a safe environment. It was like magic.
“You want to feed them?” I asked.
“By hand?” Noah asked, his eyes widened again slightly.
“Typically. Using your toes just doesn't work as well.”
Noah nodded and I went to get the bucket at the edge of the water. “Okay, now hold the fish by the tail and keep that end away from the shark. They do have sharp teeth, and you don't want them to catch you accidentally.”
I picked a fish out of the bucket and put it under the water. The little lemon shark that had sneaked over to watch us hold the nurse shark came swimming over to get it, taking it delicately in its jaws before swimming off.
“Was he there the whole time?” Noah asked, a quaver in his voice. He might be a big-shot in other areas of his life, but here he was no longer the top of the food chain. Noah was handling better than many others I had seen.
“Yup.” I grinned at him. “He was just curious. Now put your fish in the water. The other one wants his snack.”
Noah hesitated for only a fraction of a second before putting his fish in the water. The second little lemon shark swam slowly toward him, waiting until the fish was completely underwater before gently taking the fish and darting away. I didn't know that it was possible for a human to smile that big.
“He was so careful!” Noah exclaimed. “I've had dogs be more aggressive.”
“They are really quite smart,” I told him, smiling at his Christmas morning level of excitement. “This isn't something you would want to do without me around, though. These two know what's going on. This isn't something everyone gets to do.”
Noah looked up and beamed at me. “Thank you. This is one of the coolest things I've ever done.”
“You are most welcome.” I grinned at him. “Once I feed the nurse sharks, you ready to go out in the ocean and see these guys in the wild?”
Noah swallowed hard, but his grin didn't falter. “If you're with me,” he said, his eyes meeting mine, “then yes.”
Chapter 12
The turquoise waters were calm under bright blue skies as we skimmed along the shoreline in the small boat toward my favorite snorkel spot in the world. To our right, the Grove extended out into the ocean like a finger beckoning a lover. The mangroves turned the water a lighter color as their strong roots dug into the sandy bottom, but they protected the island from the waves of the deep ocean.
Nestled in the shielded curl of the Grove was a small coral reef. It was perfect for much of my marine research, as well as some of the best snorkeling in the entire Caribbean. Only locals knew about this spot, and the pristine conditions of the reef only proved the lack of human interaction. It was untouched by people and absolutely the best place to dive into an underwater world. I couldn't wait to show it to Noah.
I turned off the motor, lowering the anchor onto the sand near the reef and securing the boat so we could swim without worry. Noah stared out at the water's surface, his eyes dancing as he grinned at me. He had his goggles perched on his forehead, causing his hair to spray up like some sort of strange crest. He looked ridiculous, but very excited.
“How is the water so peaceful here? The waves on our way in were fun, but it's like being in a bathtub here.” Noah pushed his goggles up further, causing his hair to stand even more on end. It was hard not to giggle.
“The Grove,” I explained, pointing to the mangrove trees in the distance. “The mangroves protect this spot from the big ocean waves. It lets the coral grow and is really important during the tropical storms. The reef here usually doesn't get much damage.”
“You mean those weedy looking plants?” He frowned slightly at the ugly trees.
I nodded. “Yup. Not only are they the perfect breeding ground and nursery for a bunch of species, they help keep beach erosion down, and they help keep the island safe from storm surges. They are incredibly important to the whole ecosystem of the island.”