Bahamas Magic – by Lynda
Pettigrew
My first ocean dive, my
senses are on overload. My vision
narrows to the stern of the boat, and I think to myself, “I have to step off a
boat?” I try to tell myself that it’s no
different than the pool. Hands shaking,
heart thudding, I look up and see I am surrounded by people who love me, and
have faith in me.
Hands on my mask and regulator, holding my gauge tight, I take my step
forward….piece of cake! Make my way to
the line, and with my friend, who happens to be my instructor, we descend. I look down into the clearest water; I pull
down the line, and see my best friend, my husband, and magic waiting for
me. I’m at the end of the line; I add a
little air to my BCD, and let go. I’m
astounded by the colorful reef, the reds and purples, awed by the fish….and then
we spot what I most wanted to see.
Sitting on the bottom, looking at all of us as he’s taking a rest, a sea
turtle. I was so thrilled, and I knew I
was a lucky one. I saw a turtle my first
ocean dive, not many can say that.
We signed up for two special dives.
Our first experience was with a special friend, his name is Koholo, and
he’s a dolphin. Kneeling on the bottom,
Koholo swims up and I find myself petting him.
I take my regulator out for a kiss, and then rising off the bottom he’s
spinning me around. What a joy! Our second experience of the day, I was
rather dreading. Sharks. My adrenaline level was through the roof, and
I was the human statue. I faced my fear;
I came out of the water tooting my own horn.
I came back with plenty of air, I did not freak, and I know have a whole
new respect for sharks. A true life
transforming dive, such beautiful creatures.
Bonus, I also won a bet……see you at the lake Virginia!
My week in the Bahamas was nothing short of spectacular, besides
missing our daughter. The UNEXSO shop
and staff is top notch! Last but not
least, the Patriot Scuba Gang. JP, Jeff,
Lisa, Jennifer, Jose, Tom, Wanda, Mike, and Brian. A wonderful group of people, I can’t wait to
get in the water with them again. I
can’t wait for my next salt dive, but in the meantime I’ll be at Lake Rawlings. Come join me!
No comments:
Post a Comment