Wow! an incredible experience!
They were such playful creatures!
It was only after the experience that a friend told me their stingrays can be dangerous.
Of course I did not think of that at all during the time and am glad I did not know this fact!
Sometimes our brains can run away with fear if a doubting thought creeps in.
To balance that fine line between fear & faith is important if you can find it.
It can be a Jedi warrior/warrioress path to know about the danger of something & still pursue it!
What do you think? How do you handle that thin line of fear & faith when you are faced with it?
Tara Coyote Please be carefully aware sweet sister:::::While swimming in chest-deep water, Steve Irwin approached a short-tail stingray, with an approximate span of two metres (6 ft 7 in), from the rear, in order to film it swimming away. He initially believed he had only a punctured lung; however, the stingray’s barb pierced his heart, causing him to bleed to death.
Rita Anne Carey Love this! My understanding is Stingrays are only really dangerous if you accidentally stand on them or startle them when too close (ie-their barbed tail could whip around & damage you). They are not predators to us or attack for no reason. I’m glad you didn’t worry & enjoyed them. Horses can hurt is accidentally (& intentionally for some) but that doesn’t stop us reveling in their magic presence/
Tara Coyote Rita Anne Carey yes exactly! I totally agree.
Yes, this was exactly my thoughts about it too. After having horses and being around
a fair amount of wild animals I’ve learned that animals don’t attack unless they need to defend themselves, which is completely understandable! I appreciate you sharing this. They felt very playful, friendly and curious to me.
Kathy McClelland Cowan They are amazing! We have them here in our local NZ waters.
I remember my first-time scuba diving at Ahukini landing Kauai and swimming with a whole school of about 14 eagle rays. Spellbinding!!! Frightening and exciting, I couldn’t move. It was so utterly magical to just be there in their presence.
I’ve only seen rays one other time freediving there, I was at Poipu snorkeling outside
of kiddie pool and I saw something in between the rocks as I dove down, looking closer,
I must’ve given that ray a start because next moment I was faced to face with it as it swam out from between the rocks. My heart was beating so fast, it had given me a huge startle as well. That and swimming with the doz + are the only two times I’ve ever seen and swam with rays in all of my diving and snorkeling in Hawaii.
Here in NZ, there are so many, we see them out paddling on our SUP boards. The orcas like to eat them and they will come into the harbour for their stingray meal. I’ve caught one fishing, not intentionally, they put up a huge fight and we had to cut the line.
It’s dangerous to bring them aboard your boat as their tail will cause damage.
In Mexico, my friend stepped on one and it sliced his Achilles’ tendon.
It took him over a year to heal from it, so they can be dangerous.
Tara Coyote
Kathy McClelland Cowan oh my, great info here! Thank you for sharing.
Good to know all of this. Sounds very painful, what your friend went through.
I have never seen one here, but when I am out by Poipu I will keep an eye out for them.
I appreciate knowing about your adventurous life there!
Eugene Turner
Two things we can agree on; Life is terminal and living is inherently dangerous.
Our only option is in weighing the risk/benefit of our behavior. You faced more
danger driving from Grass Valley to your parents’ house in the Bay Area.
When you choose to live you face acceptable danger.
When you choose to live in fear you shut down. You become anxious,
isolated and depressed. I live in the Foothills for a decade.
There was an active population of rattlesnakes. I must have run into half a
dozen a year hiking. A few I was one step away from a serious close encounter.
But I never stop hiking. You just leant to become more aware.
You didn’t survive near death and cancer to hide away at home.
So live this blessed life of yours.
When death comes no matter how.
Not much you can do about it anyways.
Live without fear but be cautious!
To that point, just yesterday I was happily enjoying a chicken sandwich for lunch
when I suddenly sneezed. A quick inhale forced a piece down the wrong pipe.
Suddenly I was gasping and coughing violently all by myself.
It took several seconds which seemed like 15 minutes to cough it out.
It could have easily gone the other way. Just like that ‘poof’…. Have faith.
Love this share and I’m glad you finished the sandwich! Yikes, sounds scary!
Glad you are okay! Yes, I think about that too, all we have gone through and something seemingly simple could knock us out… And yes, it was way more dangerous to make that long drive down, very good point! I got used to rattlesnakes too…
Mahalo the shared wisdom.. #Keeplivinglarge!
Elle Windsong
Tara Coyote Please be carefully aware sweet sister:::::While swimming in chest-deep water, Steve Irwin approached a short-tail stingray, with an approximate span of two metres (6 ft 7 in), from the rear, in order to film it swimming away. He initially believed he had only a punctured lung; however, the stingray’s barb pierced his heart, causing him to bleed to death.
New Blog Post: The Radical Remission Project podcast!
What an honor it is to be featured among THE MOST FAMOUS kick ass miracle cancer thrivers!!! LINK HERE: Radical Remission Podcast — Cancer Warrioress
And yes, one of my keys to thriving with stage 4 cancer is to be a total goof.. This is me on
a normal day with my mermaid crown on…
Why not enjoy life, what else is it for?? 
#stingray #stingrays #mermaid #thekauaimermaidJUST KEEP SWIMMING!!
Finfolk Productions
Kelsey Williamson#radicalremission
It’s been a humbling & wonderful experience to see what an impact my memoir ‘Grace, Grit & Gratitude: A Cancer Thriver’s Journey from Hospice to Full Recovery
with the Healing Power of Horses has had after being published in August, 2021
Little did I suspect it would have such a far-reaching impact when I self-published it.
I told myself that if I helped give one person hope then I’ve done my job.
Two years later and it’s sold over 3,000 copies
I’ve had people from all over the world write to me,
telling me how it’s impacted their life in a positive manner.
This is beyond my wildest expectations!
Journeying with cancer can be unbelievably scary.
To face your mortality is not something we’ve been prepared to do in our death phobic western civilization. Whether you have it or a beloved friend or family member, it can absolutely shake the foundation of what feels ‘safe’.
It is necessary to face your fears to the best of your ability & do massive inner healing, while on a cancer path.
The audiobook version of my memoir came out this year and is in Audible as well!
My second book, a children’s picture book ‘Comanche the Wild Mustang’ was a joy to create with the talented artist Nica Draws Nature . This is the story of my gorgeous horse Comanche who was born in the wild, is a Equine Therapy horse through my biz Wind Horse Sanctuary & has been a powerful healing force. This book is my tribute to him, the healing power of horses & a cry for the wild horses who’s lives & natural habitat is severely threatened. 
There is also a coloring book version of the Comanche book too!
These books are available online on Amazon, Barnes & Noble
or you can purchase a signed copy through my website
Links to books in comments 
A portion of every purchase of GGG goes to The Wild Beauty Foundation
& a portion of every purchase of the kids book goes to Wild Horse Protection Act
Stay tuned for the next kids book with Nica & me! This one is about Hawaiian
, whales, ocean conservation & plastic awareness. It should be out sometime in the fall of 2023. It is phenomenally gorgeous with an important message!
