Close Encounter of the Sea Kind—Up Close and Personal!

We had a lovely 4-day getaway with friends in a little Florida coastal town called, Steinhatchee (pronounced steenchatchee). We love being on the water and fishing, so we were thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Remember my motto—salt air cures everything!  I’d had a miserable sinus infection, and the salt air was just the thing (plus an antibiotic) to make me feel better. Good thing I didn’t know what was about to happen.

We have always had sport-fishing boats, but several years ago decided to purchase a pontoon boat because of all the grandkids. Even the very wee ones could nap on the bench seat. My husband and I never thought we’d like a pontoon boat, but we were wrong. It’s like fishing from your living room. And there is plenty of shade. It’s also harder for a kid to fall overboard. They can run around, flop on the deck, play a game, fish, or take a nappy. There is room for all of it.

So, last week my hubby and I were in Steinhatchee in the pontoon boat cruising out the channel at about 17 knots. I was chilling, stretched out with my head resting on the back of the seat—eyes closed.  Ah, salt air and sunshine. Then, wham! I thought one of the buckets aboard had been caught in the wind, flew up and hit me in the face. It smacked me hard! I sat up holding my face in my hands, and in the same instant, out the corner of my eye, glimpsed commotion on the deck. It was not a tumbling bucket. It was a floundering spotted eagle ray with a wingspan of about 3 feet. Its long tail thrashed and whipped. Yes, a stingray had leaped from the water, sailed over the front rail, landed on my face, and bounced off onto the deck. Apparently, they are known for jumping out of the water, but there are only 2 reported cases of jumping into boats, one of which killed a woman in the Florida Keys. Well, folks, now there are 3 reported cases. (check out this link  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_eagle_ray ) I”m sure it has occurred more often but went unreported. Still, I’m fortunate and blessed I didn’t end up like the woman in the Keys! What an adventure. Now, I have something checked off on my bucket list that wasn’t even on the list.