THE IMPENETRABLE SEA 



rushed on — trying frantically to escape. The killer got a 

 few more as the herd raced out to sea, never relaxing the 

 chase until all had vanished towards the horizon. 



They phoned down to Crockett and told him to come 

 up. He slipped the catches on his shoe-weights, inflated 

 his diving-dress, and rose to the surface, forgetting the 

 rule that he should not rise faster than his bubbles. He 

 hit a corner of the boat as he touched the surface, stunned 

 himself, and was unconscious when they got his helmet 

 off. His first words were — in gasps — ''Why the — h-hell 

 didn't you — send me down a camera?" 



The killers have not the slightest fear of humans; 

 whether men are swimming naked on the surface, wear- 

 ing Aqualungs in the under-waters, clothed in diving- 

 suits, riding the sea in boats or standing on the shore. 

 They hurl themselves at man whenever they have the 

 chance. Compare their aggressiveness with that of some 

 (not all) species of sharks. 



There are numerous instances of humans riding sharks 

 of the more harmless varieties. It is a common practice 

 along the shore-lines of some tropical countries. 



Probably few people have come into closer contact 

 with sharks than John Brandon Siebenaler and his wife 

 Marjorie. When he married her he promised her that 

 they would have their own private sea. He fulfilled his 

 promise a few years ago, and built his dream aquarium 

 on a 600-foot stretch of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, as a 

 commercial proposition — the "private sea" being at 

 specified times open to the public. The venture, Gul- 

 farium Ltd., cost an initial half-million dollars. It was 

 stocked with 10,000 miscellaneous fish — an open-air pool 

 surrounded by wire fencing. The aquarium's battleship- 

 like structure was opened in August 1955. 



The day came when Siebenaler wanted sharks. He 

 took his wife out in his catchboat, with a small crew, and 

 rounded up five sharks. Swimming among them, Sieben- 

 aler seized each shark by its fins, caressing it in his arms, 



214 



