Panther,
My daughter, my best friend and I all got to hold the nurse shark. Alphonso instructed us on how to make her comfortable and secure without squeezing. She didn't seem to mind and didn't struggle.
My favorite part of this excursion was holding a fish head so the blue tangs would come nibble off it. I loved being close up with these beautiful fish.
This year I used Fuji underwaters instead of Kodak which I had tried last year. The photo shop lady said perhaps last years had too much heat exposure and blanched out the pics. So this year I brought them home in my carry-on and tried to keep them cool and shaded on the beach.
I can understand your girlfriend's hesitation. Last year I experienced a moment before getting in the water. Then I thought, "I didn't come all the way down here to sit in a boat!!" Once in the water, I was truly amazed at the rush hour traffic of so many fish around me. I loved it! This year, I couldn't get my snorkel gear on fast enough