Swimming with Sea Snakes

By Sandi Smith

On the island nation of Niue, the passengers of the National Geographic Endeavour expedition ship had a chance to snorkel and dive with sea snakes. Snakes are bad enough, but these sea snakes are one of the most venomous species on the planet. One bite accompanied with an injection of venom and you’ll be dead in ten seconds. Most people hate snakes; it’s innate. Some feel we’re wired from birth to fear snakes.

But here’s the catch: sea snakes hardly ever bite. In fact, they are more docile than your Dachshund. They are also very curious. They will swim among you, winding their two- to six-foot long bodies in the water around your body, butting your mask, checking you out. Step on one, even accidentally, and you’re dead. Be stupid enough to pull one’s tail, and it will be the last thing you do.

So it was a blast for me, a student of fear and facing fear, to sit back and watch how people reacted to this invitation. Before I could reach the sign-up sheet, all 18 places were filled. The reasons why people wanted to do it were varied: “I can’t miss a chance to be in the water,” “I love seeing new species,” “I came here to dive everywhere I could.”

Rarely is fear in our lives so blatantly labeled as in swimming with sea snakes. However, we face (obliviously, most times) more subtle fears everyday: the threat of debilitating traffic accidents, the avoidance of a tough conversation, the absence of enough money to do what we want to, a challenging relationship. Perhaps if we labeled our fears more prominently, we could determine how to best face them.

Where are the sea snakes in your life? Are you swimming with them? Or are you one of the ones who is staying out of the water for most of your life? Are you a little too slow to the sign-up sheet, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities in your life?

All 18 swimmers came back just fine, with one awesome story to tell. They were not afraid of being afraid. When faced with sea snakes in your life, how will your story read?

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