Open Water Swimming Diary # 3
Date: Aug 8, 2005
Location: Cherry Beach, Toronto
Water Temp: 76 degrees
Conditions: Calm – smooth as glass
Headlines: Swimmer Attacked a Swan
It was a lovely, bright, calm morning at beach side as I donned my
cap and goggles for a long open water swim in Lake Ontario. At Cherry
Beach, I wanted to swim east for about 1 km then back along the beach
west for a 2 km and return to my starting point. It was a wonderful
warm sunny morning, calm clear water and very little wind; basically
a perfect summer day. Adjusting my goggles on last time, I dove in
to the cool shallows and sprinted the first few 100 meters as I adjusted
my course, bearings and tempo for the 1 km distance.
I got about 500 meters into the swim, when quite
suddenly something passed right in front of me, causing a dark shadow
and a huge wake in the water. It startled me in my concentration
and halted my stroke. Head up, I look around to see what the fu...
I'm being attacked by a HUGE Swan! From my position in the water,
this thing looks as big as those ones you ride in at an amusement
park pond. Hissing and being charged by a swan from atop of the water
is quite scarey, let me tell you. But, what to do?? Who could have
prepared for this? There are no Open Water Swimming Manuals that
speak of actions/steps to be taken in the event of a water fowl attack!
As I looked around, I could see now what had caused the attack in
the first place. It appeared as if, while swimming east, I had been
getting closer and closer to a swan family; I could now see clearly
some 50 meter the mother and two swanlings. I was hardly near them,
but the male (so sexist, I know to assume) was 'charging' in defense
of his family; hissing and flapping at the strange creature in the
water. |
Is a male swan called a swan?? I made
a few attempts to continue on my way, but he was not going to allow
me to swim east any further. Finally, I got the swan's message
and decided to forego the planned distance swimming East and turned
to swim West down the waterfront, hopefully leaving the swan family
behind me in peace… but nooooo! Father swan continued his
attack down the lake as I continued my swim.
At first I would stop swimming when he skittered across my path;
flapping, hissing and doing that tippy-web-toeing over the water
in flight thingie… ya'know the way birds do on National Geographic?.
I tried frightening him off by yelling and slashed a wall of water
as he passed, but soon decided not to infuriate him and just continued
to swim through his swooping attacks. I just kept hoping he’d
go back to his family once I'd left his territory; which was completely
not posted I might add. How wrong I was. Apparently, when you've
wronged a water fowl... that it! It's for… well at least the
day. Like the Sopranos, they are!
Imagine for a moment, the scene from beach side: You're sitting on
your blankie, arranging a picnic with your children playing in the
sand. Out, some distance on the water, you can see a beautiful swan
swimming along. "Kids. Look, there's a swan!" Then you
see it flying, and flapping... oh, how pretty. What's that? Someone
is swimming out there, looks like they are attacking that poor swan?
Why is that swimmer attacking that lovely swan? Someone call the
beach patrol! Emergency!
Back out in the water, I’ve given up on the idea that this
Swan is going to give up and just let it do it’s ‘Swan
thang'. I’ve begun to notice on shore a group of people watching
the battle on the water (mothers, grandmothers and kids); walking
down the beach as I swim along. The swan continued flying, crossing
my stroke path, hissing, flapping... and me; I just kept swimming,
while keeping an eye on the swan (to my left) the crowd (to my right)
and any possible dangers lurking from the greenery below. This goes
on for quite a distance, too long in my estimation. I must admit
being quite pig headed about the whole thing, after all, I really
wanted to get this swim
At some point, the swan actually graze me on a pass... stupid over-grown
duck! So, I dove under with full intentions of yanking on his feet,
but didn't have the guts. Instead, I dove down deep and flipped up
out the water at him. This totally freaked him out... the first time.
After that he quickly learned to anticipate me, leaving me thinking "What
are you doing? Provoking a fight with a swan?" The whole scene
was so stupid and comical in retrospect and the crowd had really
gathered on the beach. Finally the angry swan 'gave it up' some 1500
meters down the lake/beach and turned a tail feather to me. Just
a soon, the crowd broke up; back to their picnics/lives, likely disappointed
there hadn't been blood spilt. Meanwhile out the East end, mother
and swanlings could have been murder, roasted and eaten, while 'brains'
was out thrashin' me in the West end of the beach!
What is it with the male gender and war anyway??
The swim back was finally peaceful and uneventful.
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