My grandad was ww2 Navy....he told me how they used to do this back then. I got to show him this video shortly before he passed away. Brought a smile to his face.
@@NeonIncooperative actually a lot of people do you can see by them liking his comment and me replying saying I do just because you never had a grandfather doesn't mean u can say this 💀🔫
@@NeonIncooperative why u being rude when he's just talking about he's grandad passing away have some heart oh its probably ur going trew something piss of shit and BTW to you who lost your grand dad may he rest in peace I'm pretty sure it was really honer
Before you think this is a frequent occurrence, this was actually the only time we got off that ship for 206 days. It doesn't happen every day and for a lot of people it's a once in a career experience.
It never occurred to me that there’d be huge stretches of time you don’t get off the ship AT ALL. Something besides the ship under your feet after so long must have been incredible.
Ha... Except that it’s rare to get to do this. I was on four ships and did almost a dozen deployments, all in the Pacific. Never once got to do a swim call.
I was on that deployment. This was the first time many of us got off that ship at all. We had not hit any ports, none of us had been off that thing in God knows how long at that point in time. It was a very heart warming and really cool experience to be able to be a part of it. From working every night on the flight deck only being able to look at the water, to jumping down into it and see the vastness that is the ocean with my own eyes. To get off that thing for a few minutes. It was truly a beautiful moment in time for me
@@johnj.flanagan-hymnsoffaith i doubt that. What would those sharks be hunting out there? Sharks like to hang out where the food is, and as clear as that water is there isn't much food there. Plus, sharks only kill a few people a year out of the billions that hit the water. Unless your using raw meat as your sunscreen your probably gonna be fine. Id love to take a dip in an area like that. So amazingly clear.
@@2373stevieb sure their are, absolutely. I'm sure they just happen to randomly be nearby and not in the other parts of the 140sq million miles of ocean. Plenty of things to worry about in the ocean, sharks really aren't one of them.
@@bp968 Pelagic sharks are opportunistic hunters. And to quote your previous comment “ Sharks like to hang out where the food is”. Well, from where I’m looking there is plenty of food swimming around the ship. That’s why they put shark watches on deck. Oceanic White-tips are known to follow ships because they associate them with food from vessels such as trawlers.
@@edoneill6701 the original comment was just saying he liked the color of the water, being racist (to water apparently) would be "this water looks way better than murky water" or something
In my entire 20+ year career in the United States Navy, not once, ever, did a Commanding Officer ever even once allow us to have a swim call. Needless to say, there were many times in which the issue was brought up, but each and every single time, the various Commanding Officer(s) had some piss poor excuse as to why it was completely IMPOSSIBLE to have a swim call in today’s modern Navy. I can’t even begin to stress how much something so simple would’ve helped to increase the moral of the crew during those long deployments. Here we were, completely surrounded by water, yet it might as well have been thousands of miles away.
Sounds like my captains back in the late 70's. No such thing. All business and no fun. 1 night in hawaii and then head for home. They have their fun but the crew doesn't.
in the RN it used to be called Hands to bath" and so funny telling your family and friends back home there were 2 guys in a boat with Rifles doing shark watch
Blessed to have served with you during this deployment. Please don’t ever delete this video. I hope me driving the ship didn’t get you sea sick lol Deck department 2020. No other carrier can ever beat us. 206 days no port.
Dude I did from Aug 1990 until April 1991 during Desert Shield/Storm in a little FF. A total of 8 days of liberty during that period. 2-weeks short of 11-month deployment. In a frigate. Man's NAVY.
That’s where the name Ocean Blue comes from. Nicest blue you’ll ever see. Also looks like a lot of fun And to all of you from an old retired Army Sergeant , Thanks for your service
Swimming in open ocean is a lot of fun but being underway for 6 months straight is nothing close to fun been there done that, also what you're seeing in this video is very rare not saying some CO's try to make it happen but there is always a new destination to get to and a next mission to accomplish, making the time for this type of extracurricular activities is tough.
Yes it is a beautiful thing, and you are 100% correct -- that is what you call a life long memory... for the rest of their lives they will remember that moment and think back upon it with fondness.
In 1973, we jumped off the yardarm, above the flying bridge, off a Coast Guard buoy tender, built in 1940. It's what you do to entertain, build morale, and cool off.
@@garycallihan4206 I jumped off of the USCG Foxglove Bouy tender into the Mississippi in 1974 it was 102* in August that day. What could be more agreeable to our crew. We had a great captain and chiefs !!!
There's is something magical to be able to say you've swam in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Not many can say that knowing the water beneath you is 2 or more miles deep.
Beautiful footage! I was on the USS Denver in 1989 and the captain stopped the ship in the middle of the ocean between Okinawa and Subic Bay so that everyone could swim in the pristine waters. I miss being young and in the USMC....
subic bay Philippines? very cool yeh ive spent a lot time there as i live in manila usually, always suprised how much military history the place has, even the old american soldiers homes etc, make the place pretty cool. Did you ever see any sharks on your jumps?
Thank you, sir for your service to this great nation. I didn't get to be a Sailor like I had planned, but I thank you and all our brave servicemen/women who did.
2 things struck me when he got in the water, 1 I was shocked how Crystal clear the water is & 2 it’s scary that it’s just so deep it’s just a black hole. Fascinating to think there’s things living in the ocean that probably ain’t even been discovered yet
@@luke_5187 I see, that’s what I mean though. There is such a vast space that we will never ever know the full scale. That’s why I would never go on a cruise because I think the sea can be a cruel mistress so got the utmost respect for those guys in the navy that go through storms etc on a regular basis
In all my years before I retired. Only had One Swim Call once we got to the Med. It is something you never forget. Understanding how DEEP the water is, and the amazing beauty of such perfectly BLUE...unforgettable water. Below...one commented about the Navy having the BIGGEST swimming pool. Until you get to be at sea...not fishing, or for fun...for months. Only then do you appreciate just HOW BIG OUR BLUE MARBLE really is.
Anyone that has been on any ship whether it be a military, cruise, tanker knows how blue and hypnotizing the deep ocean water gets. Just a vastness of deep true blue water🌎🚢
I never forgot how hypnotic that deep blue looked ever since I first saw it in the Navy. It definitely left an impression on this landlocked sailor from Idaho. In some places the water was so blue it looked violet.
True, my son is in the Navy assigned to a destroyer and he’s mentioned the ocean can be so mysterious and mystical at the same time. And the ocean blue is a true statement 👍 Thanks for your service all military personnel 🇺🇸
They say that 71% of the planet is water. That means there's twice the water as there is land, which doesn't really sink in until you see nothing but water for days on end. And yet, the full power of the sun could turn it all to steam in 2.5 seconds...
That's one reason I wouldn't jump. I earned an Expert in Rifle marksmanship. Usually, I'm a better shot than the guy on rifle watch. And a worse swimmer than any shark. I do the math. "No thanks! I'm good!"
The sea was incredibly calm that day of this swim call. I once jumped off a fishing boat in the open sea for a swim. The water was calm, no white caps, but it was rising and falling in great planes that stretched a long ways, so that it rose above the horizon, then lower again. Over and over like that. It was one of the most unsettling things I ever experienced, the immensity of the motion, the enormity of the water, and me in it. Like being adrift in outer space. I had to get back in the boat.
@@hoodiepyxledits We were anchored off of Mombossa back in the late 80's a few times on the Midway. I could take a coin the size of a Kennedy half dollar and toss it in the water off the boat while waiting for the next liberty launch to show up and watch that coin tumble end over end for a minute or so while it was falling deeper and deeper. The water was exactly the same color as in this video. The waters where Diego Garcia is in the IO are just as blue.
i have pictures of my grandpa jumping off his ship in the 50's. he said the captain always tried to get a few swimming days in on each cruise and that he loved swimming in the ocean. He was on CL-145 during the end of its service (he was one of the last people off the ship before it was mothballed).
We had swim call in the Caribbean on the USS Johnston(DD-821) in the late 70's. Screws were turned to clear the water and shark watches were posted. About 20 of us jumped in and about 15 got caught in an undertow and within seconds they were around 75 yards away from fantail hanging on to each other, the rest got back to the rope ladder safely. 2 Motor whaleboats had to be sent out to get the 15. Needless to say we had no more swim call. It was memorable.
What is an Okie sailor? Okeechobee???? We never had swim call in the late 70's. USS Durham LKA 114 California. They sunk it finally 2 years ago off the coast of Hawaii.
21 years in the US Navy with 4 cruises and never once did we ever do this, known as swim call. The open ocean sea water is such a clear blue color in the bright sun like you see it here but on a dark cloudy day it turns almost black.
As a Marine aboard ship I always wanted to do a swim call too but never got one. Beautiful inky blue water. Closest I got was flying SAR duty for a few days sitting with a helicopter on a piece of deserted beach down in Puerto Rico on an island called Vieques. Shortly afterwards things got serious when the Iowa blew up and we had to airlift the bodies to Roosevelt Roads.
Those are our tax dollars at work ...a multi million dollar ship and a swim call into the bluest ocean ever! Amazing, what other country could ever be as cool as ours!👍👍🇺🇸👏👏👏 great work guys
@@FlyingJournalism LOL multi million? Think multi Billion. :) Sometimes when you have been at sea long enough under high tempo around the clock operations you need to give the crew a little down time. It usually comes around the half way point of your deployment. We didn't get a swim call but we did get a couple of steel beach parties. Think a cook out beach party on the flight deck. :)
The underwater shots are so clear and blue and so beautiful! The water is just absolutely gorgeous! God, I wish I had served. The only regret i ever had in my life, is not serving my country. Thank you for sharing and thank you for your service. God bless you all.🇺🇸
There has GOT to be something terrifying about jumping into the ocean all the while realizing that it’s a mile down to the bottom and the nearest land is hundreds of miles away….
People always say this but the reality is that once its over your head, its over your head. If you can't swim 10ft deep might as well be 10,000ft deep. And if you can swim once again, 10,000ft might as well be 10ft, your swimming to stay afloat either way. Now, not being within sight of land would be a bit of a fear factor for most of us land lubbers, good swimmers or not.
Ok, avete fatto bene a prendere misure di sicurezza : in pieno Pacifico è importante nuotare stando molto attenti. Troppi squali, soprattutto "great white" e "tiger"
I was stationed on the USS Fresno LST 1182 and in 1978 on a swim call me and my buddies jumped off the arms and the front of the boat that was a long fall and hurt like hell but I lived through it and now at the age of 65 it's one of those lifetime memories that you're glad you have
The USS Fresno was the sponsor of my boot camp company in San Diego 1984 Co 068. They were supposed to provide us with some PT gear and other stuff but we never got it.
My name is Dan O'Grady and I was stationed on the USS Fresno LST 1182 from 1977 to 1979 that was my second duty station I served in total from 1973 to 1984 those years I kind of grew up in the military wouldn't trade them for anything great times great sights great friends I wish I get in contact with some of them leave me a message thanks
The commanding officer knows very well that they have sailors who are swimming around the ship. So there is no way that they'll gonna activate the propulsion system of the ship. And fyi all navy ships has people who are standing for deck watch.
Also, I assume there are procedures for making sure that everybody who went into the water is back on board before the ship moves off? I mean, with such a massive crew, I imagine it's not difficult to lose track of one person...
I’ve crossed the Atlantic several times and been lucky enough to stop on a very calm day like this one, and jump in. It is exillerating and humbling at the same time. You realize just how small you are in the grand scheme of things.
Lol you want them to have a paid summer camp? 😂😂 Tf.. tell those freeloaders to join the infantry or get a real job and stop waisting tax payer dollars
Same with my dad. He deployed on her in 1962 in engineering and then 2 tours on patrol boats. He always said his time on her was the best . A few years ago my sister found pictures in an archive of my dad on the Midway and 1 with scuba tanks on sitting on the back of his patrol boat. Soon after we all went to visit her in California from NJ and dad never looked my happy. For all that has served, thank you for your service.
Man, I have a fear of man-made things underwater. Propellers are on the top of that list. If I saw the props under the water like that, I'd have been in an immediate panic attack.
Fuck the props, I shit my pants thinking that I am nothing else than free food for anything that lives down in the ocean. The ocean is my very deepest fear.
I signed up for the navy and all I had to do was get sworn in. Weeks later I found out I had cancer. This made me smile. It’s amazing to be able to say you jumped off an aircraft carrier (no emergency). Godspeed y’all!
I did 2 swim calls when I was in the Navy one in '05 off a CG and one in '08 off an FFG. Both are deceptively high jumps into the water but the carrier is definitely higher. Either way climbing the net to get out on an FFG or CG is very difficult to do even after only 10-15 min swimming, I swam off of LA in the Pacific and off of Norfolk in the Atlantic - that gulf stream is no joke - you had to swim just to stay with the ship off of Norfolk. Swimming out there with thousands of feet of deep blue water under you gives you a feeling you have to experience to understand -its a combination of fear, awe, and excitement I'd say and yes out in the open ocean you will see the bluest blue ocean water you have ever seen in your life.
Yep, dove off an uncle's sailboat way out west of Bahamas on a perfect day like this. Was having a good time till i something swim under me that looked as big as our boat. Out! lol
I had 14.5 years sea duty alone, and I did this on all three ships at least two times each on each ship. Two Tarawa Class LHA's, and the Constellation. Good times, actually, great times.
WOW/WHOA, I recall passing you guys and the (sh*tty kitty) aka Kittyhawk WAY back when those two commands were set to be decommissioned while on a newer CVN; USS Lincoln. Now she’s one of the older warships leftover from my era (OIF/OEF and I can ONLY imagine the new squids on the newer boats saying or thinking the same thing I once did passing the older ones at sea, HAH! Talk about passing a piece of history and not knowing it til you age. Fair winds and following seas Shippy.
@@tommytortuga3073 Well Tommy....I just happen to be a yard dog that helped build the 72....and not so many years back she came in for overhaul....from whence I retired...it was fitting. All the ships I built 72 holds that special place....she was built with quality in mind....after that they started thinking more about the money ...and quality suffered...btw...I still have the Lincoln dinner plates, settings ......they were produced for the Captain and memorial sets ( what I have )...
I did this on the USS John C Stennis back in 2000-2001 deployment. I've always been a confident swimmer... until I did this. Open ocean swimming is a lot different from being in a pool or the beach. As people get tired, at least for me, a sense of panic can set in. I didn't end up becoming an emergency, but I sure panicked on the inside. Would have been embarrassing if some of the guys knew how scared shitless I was! That first jump was f'ing awesome though!
You make an excellent point here. Even for really good swimmers, being in open water is something that you have to take extra seriously. Disorientation can creep in much faster than one would imagine and then it's not just swimming skills that are playing a role, but the mental acuity to not be overwhelmed by where you are. It can induce panic in a heartbeat. Sounds as if you were mentally prepared.
Darren🤣 you're funny. If you look closely, just before he climbs the ladder to get back on board, you can see there are people with fins. Those are the divers. I actually wanted to be a diver but my recruiter said: 🤔 I DON'T THINK you want to scoop dead bodies out of the ocean for a living. Because most people that get blown off the flight deck, do NOT come back in ONE PIECE. My reaction: You're right🤮 When I was station on this big beautiful lady, SARS recovered EVERY BODY (NOT EVERYBODY bc they were all dead) EVERY BODY that hit the water.👍🏾
One of the coolest things about Navy life. Thank you so much for sharing this experience. Made me so happy. Too awesome. 👍👍👍 Ike 84-87 Med cruise 85 Yard period 87 End of active duty 87 Stay safe shipmates, thank you for your service. Come home again.❤
@Gaius Baltar nope you swim at your own risk sharks usually aren't in the middle of the ocean unless they are migrating. I've done two swim calls off my old ship which was a destroyer and I had no issues
I get freaked out at the deep end of a 12' pool, much less bottomless ocean. My heart would be thumping out of my chest. BTW, how is it that these guys are staying afloat? I don't see any treading going on.
@@kieranluke3810 yeah. If you ever went to some coral estabilishment or any area where fish are present and you want to dive, you'll get frustrated when you try to dive but keep coming afloat
We did something similar when I was on a submarine. They just opened a hatch at 400ft . Worst day ever. Edit: An alarming number of people have failed to pick up on the absurd humor of this post. For the record, no, it never happened. The image of it happening just popped in my head while watching this. I found it absurd and hilarious, some of you did as well. Mission accomplished.
Well everyone was abruptly and involuntarily transferred to stations in the aft end of the boat. The XO decided maybe we better just keep playing UNO instead of trying new stuff.
@@TookMyDior you'll be sorry you asked. It's a political bot. He has posted on other replies. It will start going into how Biden's heart was replaced in 2016 with an abducted soldier.
I grew up on a pacific island, and we would regularly swim (and/or water ski) in 5000ft plus deep water - I always had an uncomfortable feeling doing so - until I went scuba diving, and did my first deep dive (to around 130ft on a WWII Japanese wreck) - could see the bottom, but not the surface. After that lost all fear of ultra-deep water.
Brings back some good memories. I'm a Canadian Navy veteran and Commissioned HMCS Vancouver. We took her around from Halifax Nova Scotia to the West Coast. On our trip back we had a "Swim Ex" in the middle of the ocean on the equator somewhere off the coast of Australia (1994). The water was the same color as what you see here in this video. Only time I have ever had the privilege of swimming in pristine blue waters and where the sea surface temp was hotter than the air temp. Good Memories would love to do it again!
I remember "Swim Call" it's a special reward for sailors when the skipper calls Swim Call. It does not happen often, but when it does, you won't ever forget jumping off of your ship, (USS MORTON DD948)
The blueness of the ocean water is what amazes me the most in this video. It looks cristal clean and blue, which stands in stark contrast with what we usually sea near the coastline. I think contamination plays the key role.
@@MarshallSparrowfan well you also have many, many tones of fish/etc crap into it too. The worlds waters don't care about the shit our ships (of any kind) pump into it, but if you mean other stuff, sure.
@@xBINARYGODx i just dont think dumping mounds of garbage into the ocean is good. And justifying your own actions because other people fo worse just make you a Stalin pointing the finger at Hitler. Bother are bad. pollution bad. End of rant
Terrified of water and can't swim but this seems like such a beautiful and fun experience after all the hard work. I'm an Army National Guard Veteran, thanks for your service ❤️💪🏼
At 2:25 Now THAT'S a view most people don't get to see when invited by a neighbor to his backyard pool party. I envy you. I'm glad you got to do it. I hope you've got a picture such as this on prominent display somewhere in your home next to your Golden Shellback Certificate. As a Marine, my son earned his Golden Shellback while on deployment with the 15th MEU, right after 9/11. I missed out on being able to join him on his Tiger Cruise on his way back home. That one view says a lot: Not old coots, but young people (the backbone of our military) getting to make a swim call out in the deep ocean from the deck of one of the mightiest ships in the US Navy. Treasure the experience. You're a member of a VERY SMALL group.
That brings back memories for me and our 4 different swim calls I had while I was stationed onboard the USS JOHN L HALL (FFG-32) back in 1999 and in 2000. The water was freezing in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Carribean Sea, Persian Gulf,and Gulf of Mexico
I was on a Coast Guard Bouy Tender . On a summer day our Captain slid up next to a sandbar and we had a bbq and beach time in the middle of the Mississippi River. Thx W4 Rosa
why so few times? i would of thought if youre on a navy ship theres not much to do and doing this once a week would be cool? (im clueless so apologize in advance for the likelyhood that this is a dumb question lol)
i did think of joining when i was 20, but luckily i started an online business and was able to run it remotely and go back packing around the world for a few years.... still i do kind of wish i still did it, would of been a feeling of acomplishment.
Adventures are horrible experiences that if survived make great stories like the time I blew out my back tire and crashed my bike at 75 mph with my brother on the back. Not only did we live, but by the grace of God, no one involved was seriously injured.
how many of you can say you built one.....two......three.....four...Plus....Your Welcome enjoy my ship....bring Yourself and my ship home safe...have fun....keep it clean.....
Often wondered how these men & women would unwind while being stuck on the boat. 14days on an off shore oil rig drives me up the wall. This was pretty cool to see.
the deck has a non-skid on it.....you walk on that barefoot....and would shred your skin....they kick off their shoes , step on the mat and off into the wild blue....those are work mats btw....you stand watch or a workstation for some length of time...that mat helps save your knees...back etc....
This is about as good as it gets for Navy tho. I had plenty of buddies from the Navy when I was in that switched to Army (blue to green) afterwards and all said the Army was way better. Being out to sea for long periods of time blows.
@@Meemeeseecoo Think it depends on what your job is really. The last 10 months I was in the ARMY I wasn't allowed to take my boots off, got a shower once every 10-15 days when we went in for re-fit etc.
We were off Vietnam. Sharks and poisonous snakes. No swim call there. But when we headed for R&R south of the equator, our ship fitters built a pool on the flight deck. That was at least a way to cool down........1969 USS Hornet CVS 12 Navigation Division.
@@coltsgood99 gotta cross that equator! The process is pretty weak these days. Dad was Vietnam era...said it was ROUGH! Very silly and overly regulated today sadly... 😔 Cheers!
@Sonny Bruschetta Thank you so so much for that share brother! It meant a lot to me! And no...I never got my shell back! I was primarily a few reservist. Did a few year active tho. I was based outta Everett wa. I’m 46 and a lifelong UPS Driver. Just to paint a picture for yah. Thanks for the kind words about my ole man too. Lost his about 8 years back.... He was my hero. He did his 20, as an intel officer. He always said if he had it to do over? He’d have been enlisted! And you know what? I believe him! He always said he would’ve been happy as a boatswain on a tug. His favorite duty was on ATF-113. USS Takelma...a Fleet Tug. He loved that ship! Towing targets and doing salvage stuff. He wasn’t like most officers...he liked getting his hands dirty with the men. 😝. Anyways, I sure appreciate your words and sharing about the shell back experience! It sounds almost identical to dads! He talked about getting flogged with a piece of firehouse and kissing a Royal Baby? 😆 👑. Hahahha! I can only IMAGINE the things, old salts like you saw and DID! Sure enjoyed chatting with you. By the way? My name is Bill. LS1 USN Retired.
@Sonny Bruschetta wow! This is great Sonny! I sure am enjoying this! 👍. I so so wish I could’ve had a beer with you and our two Dads... I’m sorry for your loss too. I’m not sure a person ever TOTALLY gets over the loss, of someone they really loved? Time has made it easier for sure tho. And when I hear from people like you? It’s like I’m back talking with my ole man! ❤️ So lemme tell yah shipmate? You fill my heart when I read your posts. I literally read it to my wife Jackie! And she said.....Wow! This gentleman sounds like your Dad! You are a good man...I can feel it Sonny. And btw? MS is now CS! You maybe heard that? They’ve changed a lot of rates, as far as the names go. Like Storekeeper is now LS. CS stands for Culinary Specialist! Hahaha! No offense? But I never found Navy chow special! Hahahahah! Honestly the worst chow I ever ate? Was Army hands down! 🤮 Anyways, I don’t know if you use Facebook? But if so? I would love to share an invite or my email. Or if your more comfortable just keeping it to this thread? That’s fine too Sonny. I’m just having a blast sharing some shared sea stories and memories with yah. Anyhow, lemme know. I’ve sure enjoyed hearing your remembrances on your service friend! 👍
I was a submariner but we had a swim call in the middle of the Atlantic. Remember looking down was like looking into the abyss. Most beautiful neon blue water.
I dove from there on the USS Independence. Halfway down I remember thinking "hmm thought I would be at the bottom by now" it was higher than it looked.
This was my first command back in 99. Retired last year. You guys look you had so much fun. Those deployments can get monotonous so enjoy these when you get them. Stay safe and take care of and protect IKE. I'm talking to you FCs NATO, CIWS, RAM and DPC techs. Can't lie I do miss it a little bit.
@@anglerfish1001 I´m Brazilian, and here in Brasil we speak Portuguese. Brasil is a country oppressed by US imperialism. In 2016 we had a coup planned by the CIA that resulted in the handing over of our oil reserves to North American companies and the privatization of our state companies to European and North American private groups. I understand very well about crimes and interference made by US imperialism.
I would be too scared, not knowing what lurks under me and all around, but I would love to see the night sky out there. I bet it's beautiful. Thank you for all that you do for us ♡
Theres really nothing to be afraid of... Just don't over think it, and just send it every once in a while! Your future self will thank you! Especially when you start to think back at all the crazy experiences you've been through!
Awesome. As a once avid fisherman who ran his boat from Miami to the Bahamas regularly I have done this in the middle of the Gulf Stream....off my own boat of course. It was beautiful, the water is so clear and blue out there. But I always was concerned about sharks. You jump in out there, you're making all kinds of commotion in the middle of the ocean. The marine life hear it. Especially with the shadow a ship makes. Fish like Mahi, Sail, marlin will be drawn to this because the bait fish look for floating shade. The big game fish attract the sharks. I'm glad to see they had a line off the stern of the ship. Now...It would have been funny if the captain tossed everyone that wanted to take a swim a scraper to knock some barnacles off the hull while they were in there. LOL.
This takes me back to my time in the Royal Navy in the late 90s on HMS York. We did a hands to bathe in the middle of the Indian ocean & it was flat calm. Best experience of my life.
i always wondered why the phrase "Deep Blue Sea" came from, cause in Florida, it's more of a greenish color, then I joined the Marines and was on the USS Guadalcanal and when we deployed to the middle east and was out in the middle of the Atlantic, there it was, the deepest blue water you will ever see. just like in this video, brings back memories.
Good thing those Mako sharks the scientists were experimenting on to cure Alzheimers didn't escape Aquatica. Rest in Peace to the 9 people that died there in 1999.
My brother once told me they did this while over the Mariana Trench with 26,000 feet of water under them. It staggers the mind. Still have old 8mm movies of him and his buddies swimming in the open ocean as smooth as glass. That was back in the early 50's.
Wow. That must have been so terrifying and liberating at the same time. The vastness void of the ocean never really fails to amaze and scare me. We are literally a speck
We did this off the coast of Kenya when I was attached to the Marines almost 30 yrd ago. One of the Marines was like "hey Doc why does that sailor have a rifle" and I was like incase he sees a shark. I never seen someone swim above the water to get back to the ship before lol. Enjoy these times shipmates.
