That Time I Met A Shark

by Holly Milnes (United Kingdom (Great Britain))

I didn't expect to find Indonesia

I didn’t expect to find myself face to face with a black-tip shark. … Last summer, having worked lots of overtime at work, I decided to indulge my wanderlust and booked a 9 day group tour around Bali with a travel company called INTRO Travel. Offering 10% off at the time and with the promise that they would manage every activity, transport and difficult planning admin while we were there, pressing ‘pay now’ has never been easier. Once my flights and tour were booked and paid for, all I had to do was get excited! After landing in Denpasar late in the evening, one of INTRO’s trusted drivers was there to pick me up from the airport and when we got out onto the roads I was so immensely grateful I wasn’t driving: the roads literally swarmed with mopeds. Thankfully the driver had mad skills and we made it to the first hotel without injuring anyone (even though I was anxious the whole time!). That night I met with our lovely tour leader and group before heading to sleep, ready for the week’s adventure. Waking up the next morning, I got to see my surroundings in proper daylight for the first time and, on our way to Seminyak beach for a surf lesson, I drank in the culture like a thirsty girl on Instagram. Palm trees, elaborate statues, tuck shops, temples, all lined the road down to the beach. Sadly I learned that day that I do not have the balance required for surfing and probably spent more time underwater than on the board, but I’m a water baby through and through. After some vital sun bathing time, we travelled north up the island to Canggu: a cool little surfer village with stunning (!!) sunsets. And no, this isn’t where I met the shark. From Canggu, we moved further up to the very north of Bali to a beautiful spot just off the beaten track called Lovina. And the best bit? We got to stay in a private villa… a PRIVATE VILLA! Whilst I wouldn’t say that the accommodation had been basic, Lovina’s panoramic views of the jungle landscape were genuinely breath-taking. Watching the sunrise in a private villa in Bali before going dolphin spotting was a serious pinch-yourself moment. I couldn’t believe it was real life. But it was. And still no sharks. After a tearful goodbye to Lovina, we embarked upon the marathon journey over to the Gili Islands. Located just in between Bali and Lombok, the Gilis are made up of three tiny individual islands: Gili Air, Gili Meno and our destination, Gili Trawangan. And when I say they’re tiny, I mean you could cycle around the biggest in an hour or so, in fact that’s exactly what we did. Famed for their sunset swings, snorkelling spots, turtle beaches, and with an increased amount of free time, we couldn’t wait to explore another Indonesian gem. And it did not disappoint in the slightest. Feeling adventurous, a couple of us decided to fill some free time by going scuba diving with the INTRO-recommended Trawangan Dive Center. After a safety briefing and some training in the basics of scuba, we took the plunge. Under the water I expected to find turtles, statues, fish, eels, coral… but I didn’t expect to find myself face to face with a black-tip shark (at last!). At about 12m down, at the sea-bed of the Bali Sea, we met a shark. The safety briefing had warned us of the possibility of sharks but our dive spot wasn’t a big hotspot so this was quite the unexpected encounter. The shark seemed unbothered by us and our Dive Master seemed unconcerned so we knew we weren’t in danger but the thrill was undeniable. Hands down, the coolest thing I can say about myself is that I’ve swum with a shark.