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.

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.