March 11, 2010
I am dressed head-to-toe in black spandex sitting cheek to cheek with 9 other students on a motorboat being guided only by a 2 inch window of light from a headlight. Disoriented, I don’t know which way is north and which way is south. I felt like I was in outer space- I didn’t know where the ocean ended and the starry night began. I was being lightly sprayed by salt water, but my eyes are used to it now and no longer burn. The only sounds I hear are the boat smacking on the hard ocean surface and the squeaking of rubber fins on the boat floor. “Where is the buoy!?” Dave, our boat driver’s voice pierced through the surreal night. At that moment, 10 lights shone forth onto the black sea and panned rapidly in an attempt to be the first to find the reflecting floating ball anchored in the strong current. All of a sudden silver streaks were skipping across the water left and right and disappearing into the dark ocean beneath us. They were all sizes, some as large at my arm. They looked almost like a needle. They were streamline, and could disappear and reappear as often and easily as they liked. They were gorgeous jumping fish. I have seen them a few times before in the daylight, and even then they seem to disappear in the waves. But tonight they were dancing all around the boat. All of a sudden Dave’s radio crackled and Chelsea, the intern, chimed in on the other line. “I don’t think we can find it tonight, let’s head over to Shark Alley.” Shark Alley… at night!? My heart sank just a little bit. I am not scared of the ocean any more, but it is a different sea at night. No longer do I have the comfort of being able to stand up at Admirals Cove, the dive site we were supposed to be at. Now, there is a rapid current, smashing waves against rigid rocks, and over 15 feet of water underneath me- not to mention sharks. The boat cheered in excitement, but the moment we arrived on site there was silence. Now, I am not afraid of much, and sharks are not high on the small list I do have. However, the fact that right before we anchored a student felt the need to hum the Jaws theme song really did not help. We anchored, and while I waited for comforting advice all I got was “don’t swim too closely to the rocks, don’t swim too far out or you won’t be able to swim against the current to get back, yell if you need me yell and I will try and find you, and have fun!” Lights went on, masks were pulled down faces, and one by one people splashed into the blackness below. My snorkel buddy, Aubrey, jumped in so quickly it didn’t give me a chance to re-evaluate my escape plans. Escape plans may be silly, but are essential to survival! The only thing I had was if Jaws came at me I am knocking it in the nose with my night light. While I type that now, it is pretty ridiculous, but it made me comforted at the time!
I plunged in and there was a rush of cold water starting at my feet and going all the way up to my neck. I turned my light on, and we were off! Within moments I saw what I had wanted to see for a month… His legs were protruding out of his body and moving rapidly as he ran through the water. His eyes were glowing red due to the reflection of my light. He was adorable, he was a shrimp! I put my hand out and he rested for just a moment and jumped off and ran into the shadows. I looked around and it was breath-taking. This snorkel site that I have visited before was entirely new and different. The corals were out in full bloom because they feed at night. You could see each and every corallite extending out and pulling in whatever algae floated by. The sea floor was filled with hundreds of red eyes reflecting from my light. I didn’t have to swim much at first; I just let the strong current take me wherever it wanted. Trying to keep my light steady was the hardest part. While we were out there for our hour of fun I saw over a dozen lobsters taking refuge in rocks and overhanging corals. I saw a two foot spotted moray eel. An enormous crab with legs at least a foot and a half long. I saw Hermit crabs and conch pulling themselves over and around hard corals. I was so wrapped up on the sights that I forgot where I was heading. I popped my head out and above the waves and could not see a thing. All I saw were night lights sprinkled about in the waves. No boat. No Dave. Aubrey swam up next to me and grabbed my hand and pulled me back under the water. It was so reassuring! That was the moment I shed all doubt. It was as if a motor just turned on and I was swimming everywhere! Of course Aubrey and I pushed the boundaries and swam towards and a little past the rocks. When we finally decided to turn back I readjusted my light in front of me, and in that brief moment I saw something move beneath me. When I pointed my light down I saw an intricate, shell splashed with colors of green and brown. There were four little flippers straining to push against the current and then two little eyes peered up towards my light. A sea turtle!!! He swam towards the light, and I could have reached out and touched him he was so close. He just looked at me, stared with his large brown eyes turned his head and swam off into the shadows. That will never happen to me again.
We arrived back at the boat and as I pulled off my mask I had the biggest grin on my face. The ocean never ceases to amaze me.
I am dressed head-to-toe in black spandex sitting cheek to cheek with 9 other students on a motorboat being guided only by a 2 inch window of light from a headlight. Disoriented, I don’t know which way is north and which way is south. I felt like I was in outer space- I didn’t know where the ocean ended and the starry night began. I was being lightly sprayed by salt water, but my eyes are used to it now and no longer burn. The only sounds I hear are the boat smacking on the hard ocean surface and the squeaking of rubber fins on the boat floor. “Where is the buoy!?” Dave, our boat driver’s voice pierced through the surreal night. At that moment, 10 lights shone forth onto the black sea and panned rapidly in an attempt to be the first to find the reflecting floating ball anchored in the strong current. All of a sudden silver streaks were skipping across the water left and right and disappearing into the dark ocean beneath us. They were all sizes, some as large at my arm. They looked almost like a needle. They were streamline, and could disappear and reappear as often and easily as they liked. They were gorgeous jumping fish. I have seen them a few times before in the daylight, and even then they seem to disappear in the waves. But tonight they were dancing all around the boat. All of a sudden Dave’s radio crackled and Chelsea, the intern, chimed in on the other line. “I don’t think we can find it tonight, let’s head over to Shark Alley.” Shark Alley… at night!? My heart sank just a little bit. I am not scared of the ocean any more, but it is a different sea at night. No longer do I have the comfort of being able to stand up at Admirals Cove, the dive site we were supposed to be at. Now, there is a rapid current, smashing waves against rigid rocks, and over 15 feet of water underneath me- not to mention sharks. The boat cheered in excitement, but the moment we arrived on site there was silence. Now, I am not afraid of much, and sharks are not high on the small list I do have. However, the fact that right before we anchored a student felt the need to hum the Jaws theme song really did not help. We anchored, and while I waited for comforting advice all I got was “don’t swim too closely to the rocks, don’t swim too far out or you won’t be able to swim against the current to get back, yell if you need me yell and I will try and find you, and have fun!” Lights went on, masks were pulled down faces, and one by one people splashed into the blackness below. My snorkel buddy, Aubrey, jumped in so quickly it didn’t give me a chance to re-evaluate my escape plans. Escape plans may be silly, but are essential to survival! The only thing I had was if Jaws came at me I am knocking it in the nose with my night light. While I type that now, it is pretty ridiculous, but it made me comforted at the time!
I plunged in and there was a rush of cold water starting at my feet and going all the way up to my neck. I turned my light on, and we were off! Within moments I saw what I had wanted to see for a month… His legs were protruding out of his body and moving rapidly as he ran through the water. His eyes were glowing red due to the reflection of my light. He was adorable, he was a shrimp! I put my hand out and he rested for just a moment and jumped off and ran into the shadows. I looked around and it was breath-taking. This snorkel site that I have visited before was entirely new and different. The corals were out in full bloom because they feed at night. You could see each and every corallite extending out and pulling in whatever algae floated by. The sea floor was filled with hundreds of red eyes reflecting from my light. I didn’t have to swim much at first; I just let the strong current take me wherever it wanted. Trying to keep my light steady was the hardest part. While we were out there for our hour of fun I saw over a dozen lobsters taking refuge in rocks and overhanging corals. I saw a two foot spotted moray eel. An enormous crab with legs at least a foot and a half long. I saw Hermit crabs and conch pulling themselves over and around hard corals. I was so wrapped up on the sights that I forgot where I was heading. I popped my head out and above the waves and could not see a thing. All I saw were night lights sprinkled about in the waves. No boat. No Dave. Aubrey swam up next to me and grabbed my hand and pulled me back under the water. It was so reassuring! That was the moment I shed all doubt. It was as if a motor just turned on and I was swimming everywhere! Of course Aubrey and I pushed the boundaries and swam towards and a little past the rocks. When we finally decided to turn back I readjusted my light in front of me, and in that brief moment I saw something move beneath me. When I pointed my light down I saw an intricate, shell splashed with colors of green and brown. There were four little flippers straining to push against the current and then two little eyes peered up towards my light. A sea turtle!!! He swam towards the light, and I could have reached out and touched him he was so close. He just looked at me, stared with his large brown eyes turned his head and swam off into the shadows. That will never happen to me again.
We arrived back at the boat and as I pulled off my mask I had the biggest grin on my face. The ocean never ceases to amaze me.
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