Walking upon a Bizarre Encounter on the Banks of the Arkansas River!
As I traversed a gravel bar along the Arkansas River near Barling, I walked upon a surreal sight that left me flabbergasted and astounded. My eyes beheld two Watersnakes, grappling over a thrashing Catfish, with each end of the hapless fish clamped firmly in their jaws.
The first Watersnake had braved the current to secure the Catfish and was valiantly making its way towards the riverbank, only to be met with a surprising turn of events. As it approached the shore, a second snake surfaced, coveting the same Catfish.
With the first snake still in the water and the second on the bank, the two snakes began to engage in a battle of wills over the fish. In a perplexing display of cunning and strength, they brought the Catfish to the riverbank and began their feast, with neither relinquishing their grip on the fish.
As they approached each other, I could feel the tension in the air, my heart pounding with excitement and anticipation. And then, in a moment of pure serendipity, they met in the middle, both snakes touching each other, causing the second snake to release its hold on the fish. The original snake then proceeded to swallow the Catfish whole.
Capturing the Moment
I was seated upon a jagged rock formation, my camera clutched in my hand, as I sought to capture this once in a lifetime spectacle. I used a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS lens attached to a Canon EOS-1D Mark III camera, with the settings as follows:
• Aperture: f4
• Shutter speed: 1/2500 sec.
• ISO: 400
• Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
• Focal Length: 500 mm
The date was June 17, 2009, and I will forever cherish the memory of this bizarre encounter on the banks of the Arkansas River.