The Beautiful Blue

As I stand on the shore, the ocean calls me into submission.
As I feel the warmth of the tropical water, my heart beats a little bit faster.
As I submerge into the beautiful blue, I gaze at this world…

vast, magnificent, both eerie and astonishing.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, Brad and I went on our second couple dive at Lau Lau. We followed the familiar pipe that led us out into the open. As my senses were heightened to the cracks and pops of the crustaceans, Brad pointed at a Green Sea Turtle. While its rear flippers were steering itself and its front were gliding through the water like a bird using its wings, we found ourselves swimming alongside it. It was INCREDIBLE! The next morning, we drove and dove at the same sight before we headed to work…

The weekend before that, we went out with veteran divers, Harry, Kelli and Mike. Harry suggested we take a look at Wing Beach and Grotto. Brad looked at me and knew I was doing a silent dance of joy. In my excitement, I plunged in the waters of Wing Beach with the snorkel still in my mouth... drinking enough salty water to keep me hydrated for a marathon. The crevasses at this place were unimaginable.

When we immersed in Grotto waters and went through caves, I looked up and realized I could hardly see the surface. There was no shore waiting for me, just open water. I started feeling tense and woozy, it didn’t help that my mask was fogging up. But in spite of that, there was a greater sense of satisfaction than fear…

(pictures taken by Kelli Blalock)