We were up bright and early this morning for a 7 am scuba lesson. We spent about an hour getting our gear fitted (putting on a wetsuit is no small feat!) and doing the lecture & test portion of the event. Afterward, we strapped on what seemed like a hundred pounds of tanks, vests and weights and waddled the 50 long yards to the beach.
It was just the two of us with the instructor, Rachel. Rachel also had Michael assisting her. Michael is a candidate for his Dive Master certification so was apprenticing as part of that process. They were both very friendly and extremely patient! We started out slow as Andrew has had a hard time getting his ears equalized the past two times we have tried this activity. In no time, however, we were down past 20 feet and in the midst of a beautiful coral reef. We saw eels, scallops, puffer fish, box fish, an angel fish as big as our heads, urchins, an octopus, and many other fish we didn't know the names of. We got to touch a sea cucumber, which was soft and a bit slimy.
Certainly one of the highlights was when a 300+ pound sea turtle swim right over to us. Sea turtles are protected animals, so you're not permitted to touch them (fines can be as much as $25,000). You're actually not supposed to be within 150 feet of them, but this turtle either didn't know about that rule or didn't care. He was completely unafraid of us and was in no hurry to pass. He meandered by and, if we would have reached out our arm, we could have easily touched him. We managed to refrain, but it was not easy!
The other highlight was being able to hear the whales singing for much of the dive. We couldn't see them, of course, but we could hear them just as clear as could be. It was extraordinary, to say the least!
In the span of two hours (which seemed to pass in the blink of an eye) we made it to a depth of just a little over 40 feet, which is the maximum depth allowed for non-certified divers. We both had a great time and Andrew had no trouble with his ears, even in the deepest areas. Thanks to Rachel and Michael for being such great instructors! Looks like we'll be getting certified so that we can dive again on our November trip!
Sadly for you readers, there are no photos from this amazing experience. Because we were supposed to be learning, the camera stayed in the car.
What a great experience. Hope your last day with be special also.
ReplyDeleteMom Bruemmer
Don't be sad about the lack of photos. We can all look at the 100's of fish pictures from your previous vacations. Happy your dive was such fun. Dad B.
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