The ocean is an alien world to us, full of mysteries and untold secrets. The ocean is alive with its fluid motion and the life below it’s surface. It is so vast and unexplored that no one knows all her secrets. I have been in this world of the deep that is so mysterious and foreign to us. To be in the ocean with all it’s beauty and mystery is such a wonderful feeling. It cannot be imagined by any stretch of the mind. To be in the warm waters floating weightless and free, without a care in the world cannot be compared to any other experience.
One of the most wonderful dives I have ever made was in the Sea of Cortez, off the coast of San Carlos, Mexico. The dive site was at a small island named San Pedro Island. The water was smooth like a sheet of glass. It seemed like you could slide right across the surface like you were on ice. The water was so clear you could see the bottom, as if you could just reach out and caress the sand. The excitement I felt was beyond words, to be here in this wondrous place. I was one of the first of our group to get into the water. When I jumped into the water I was overtaken with the sensations of being surrounded in this liquid environment. The temperature of the water was perfect, it was like jumping into heaven. I could not wait to start my dive, so I let my air out and descended head first. I knew it was shallow because of the clarity of the water and the fact that I could see the bottom so well. I went right straight to the bottom so I could embrace this alien world. When I reached the sandy bottom I checked my depth gauge. I found to my surprise that I was at a depth of 80 feet, but how could that be. I stayed at that depth for as long as I dared, not wanting to go any shallower. When I did ascend, I leveled off at a depth of 30 feet, and continued my dive there.
The visibility was awesome, I had never imagined being able to see such a distance under water. I looked around and the area was teaming with life of all kinds. There was a bull seal just floating on the surface watching us with interest. There were fish of all colors and sizes, some almost motionless and others seemed to be flying from one place to another. There was coral of different kinds and colors all around. I had to see more, so I explored the rocks and crevices all around. A Parrot fish decided to join me in my explorations. The Parrot fish was like a shadow following my every move, it stayed between the bottom and me for quite a while. I would like to think it enjoyed my company but it didn’t take long for me to realize why it was there. I saw a small rock with these long thin legs sticking out, so I had to know what was under that rock.. I turned the rock over to discover a “Brittle star” before I could get a good look at it the parrot fish dashed in and ate the brittle star. I thought that was amazing the speed of that parrot fish was unbelievable. I continued to explore and found some moray eel’s and other fish hiding in different crevices. I found a small cave filled with reddish gold fish. They were like sentinels guarding a palace. It was such an amazing dive that I never wanted it to end. I could have stayed there forever, just floating weightless in that liquid environment of perfect temperature and vast visibility. I was weightless and felt like I was being caressed by the hand of God. The only sound was a minute crackling, like when you pour milk into a bowl of rice crispies, the sound of my breathing, and I almost thought I could hear the angels sing. I was short on air and had reached my time limit so I had to ascend.
 Parrot Fish |
 Brittle Star |
When I surfaced and returned to the boat, I found a quiet place on the bow. I sat there contemplating the beauty and the serenity of the dive I had just completed. I sat there all the way back to San Carlos, and I knew that I would always remember this day. It was like being in heaven. It was the perfect dive.
