My First Snorkel
The summer breeze whipped my long locks
side to side, instantly relaxing me. The sun beat down on my mother and me as
we walked the perimeter of the one beach island. The grainy sand tickled our
wet feet. Lengthy palm trees swayed as if dancing to the sound of the white-
capped waves crashing onto the shore. Seagulls swooped down into the cold
water, gulping down squirming fish. Our boat bobbed in the water. Our captain
eagerly awaited our return. The gleaming clouds tip-toed across the clear blue
sky. A bright flash from my mother’s camera snapped me awake. The beauty of
Sandy Spit couldn’t be captured by even the finest of cameras.
I jolted to a stop, nearly tripping over a
rock with jagged, mean- looking edges. In the corner of my eye, I could see a
purple blur swirling by. Gingerly, I bent over to see what was lurking in the
water, careful not to disturb the creature. I was flabbergasted! A
plum-colored, watermelon-sized octopus spun around me. The underwater creature
stared at me keenly then raced of into the never-ending ocean. I hurtled over
several rocks to catch up to my mom, still astonished by my encounter with the
rarely seen animal.
We had visited many islands that
breathtaking afternoon. My family was on a boat tour through the U.S. Virgin
Islands. I vividly remember docking at an island so small it looked like a spit
of sand compared to the other islands surrounding it. It was when we docked that I decided I wanted
to go snorkeling for the first time ever.
“Are you ready?” my dad asked. He fastened
the buckle to my life jacket and tightened my goggles. I knew I was ready, but
refused to admit it. My stomach churned at the thought of the many Shark Week
episodes I had watched previously. There could be anything out there. But I was
willing to take the risk.
I gulped in fear as my ankles touched the
water. Then my knees. Then all the way to my ribs. I gulped in fear again.
There was no turning back. I squeezed my father’s hand. All the way under. Thousands
of unafraid fish swam around my feet. Bright, healthy coral reefs welcomed me
to the underwater world. The sun illuminated the water. Crabs and lobster were scattered
across the ocean floor searching for food. The ocean creatures danced together
in harmony. Animals I have only read about or seen on television were swimming
before my eyes. Seaweed swayed like the palm trees above. I was careful to
steer away from swordfish slicing through the water like lightning cutting
through the sky in a thunder storm. We kept swimming. I could see our boat
bobbing through the water and the sturdy anchor buried deep in the ground.
When
the water grew dark, my father and I swam to the surface. The sun was slowly
setting on the horizon. The sky was a kaleidoscope of vivid colors. The colors
looked like they were painted on a canvas, then mixed together with a swirl of
the paintbrush. Together we savored the last moment of the day. We swam back to
the shore. I took off my heavy snorkel gear and stuffed it into our water proof
beach bag. We zipped up and swam to the boat. I told my mother and sister
everything that I saw.
I took one last look at the island and the ocean where I
first snorkeled. The boat’s engine roared and zoomed off into the ocean, the
very mysterious, never-ending ocean.
