There was one time when I was at the beach with my mum and my brother, Will. We were staying at our family place near Batemans Bay during the holidays. It was a hot, sunny day, and we all wanted to get into the water for a swim. It was high tide, so we were closer to the shore than we usually were. The beach, called Barlings Beach, is beside a caravan park and does not have lifeguards.

My brother and I were playing and swimming in the water when, all of a sudden, he stood completely still and looked confused. I looked around but could not see anything. Because I could not wear my hearing devices in the water, I began to panic. My brother signalled for me to remain calm and follow Mum’s directions, but when I looked over, I could not see her. By this point, my adrenaline had started to kick in, and I felt quite scared.

I eventually spotted Mum, who was telling us to move slowly in the other direction and avoid making any sudden movements. I was confused and looked at my brother for clarification, but he also seemed unsure, which did not make me feel any better. I kept trying to sign to Mum to ask what was happening, but she was too focused on whatever she was trying to move us away from to notice.

Eventually, Mum signalled for my brother and me to leave the water and “get something to eat.” We returned to the area where we had set up, and I put my hearing devices back on. When we asked why she had told us to move, she explained that she thought she had seen a rip. We believed her and had a snack before returning to the water about five minutes later.

A short time later, I looked towards Mum and saw her signalling that there was a shark in the water. I could not believe what she was saying and began looking around frantically for the so-called shark. Then I saw what she was talking about. Instead of seeing one, I saw approximately four. That was when I realised they were not sharks—they were dolphins. I could tell because they were jumping out of the water. I signed to Mum that they were dolphins, not sharks, and she immediately calmed down. I was surprised that the dolphins had come so close to the shore, particularly at a small caravan-park beach.

Although the experience became a funny family memory, it also taught me how frightening and confusing an unexpected situation can feel when I cannot access spoken information. Without my hearing devices, I had to depend entirely on facial expressions, gestures and visual directions, which were not always clear. It showed me the importance of remaining calm and having agreed visual signals so that Deaf and hard-of-hearing people can quickly understand what is happening in the water. It a