The Dive

By Jamie Redman

The ocean walk was long and early. The scent of the salty sea filled the air as the waves crashed onto the shore. One after the other, I could hear them and they soothed my worries and cleared my head of all thoughts. I felt empty like book without words. I loved it.

The few days I would spend here had to be jam-packed with all the possible activities I could think of, starting with scuba diving. I had yet to try it and couldn’t wait.

We suited up in full body suits that stuck to our every crease like plastic wrap. Next, we had to put on a facemask with the same feel but barely leaving any room to breath. The goggles were the easiest to get on and to wear while waiting to dive under. However, the flippers were a great challenge. They squeezed onto your feet and when you tried to walk normally they would fold up leaving your destination nowhere but the ground.

Finally, it was time to dive. I had hoped the preparation would all pay off and be everything I hoped and more. It was. The coral was so vibrant and colorful and I got to see up close the marine creatures living in the dark caves. From out the darkness there was a light. I had done some research and as it swam towards me I recognized it. It was a deep-sea anglerfish. I had never seen anything like it up close. Its razor sharp teeth poking out of its jaw and the pole coming out of its head had amazed me. It was like a unicorn’s horn but with a skinnier horn and a bright glowing ball on the end just hanging there. I was afraid of it. My dive was over.