Our Last Day of Diving and The Boat Ride Back to Shore

By Anonymous -

It was the last day of diving off of the beautiful island of Cozumel. Our group had just finished our first dive for the day and we were now resting on the rocking boat, waiting for our last chance to dive before the end of our trip. We were sipping on soda and eating little Mexican cookies and fresh fruit that the boat crew through Dive Paradise had brought for us. After we had rested a little while, we all pulled our wet suits back on and got our gear ready for one last deep adventure in the salty blue water. We strapped our BCDs on and pulled our masks and flippers on, and then one-by-one, we waddled to the edge of the boat and plunged into the cool water. Everyone looked around to check for their buddies and then we slowly started to descend deeper and deeper while letting the air out of our BCDs. My ears hurt for just a few minutes as I tried to equalize and then I was finally able to make it to the sandy bottom with the rest of the group. My eyes took in everything as I looked at my surroundings. 
 

There were tons of corals in all shapes and sizes and different species of fish swimming everywhere around us. I looked at Sidney and then we started to drift along with the current while following our dive master. We saw large black durgons, fat parrotfish, sergeant majors, french grunts, a couple barracudas, a nurse shark, a puffer fish, blue and yellow tangs, a hawksbill sea turtle, a peacock flounder, a yellow stingray, and so much more. It felt as though we were in another world that was far away from reality. Sidney and I were swimming around each other and making faces through our masks. We’d end up laughing through our regulators and have to resort to using sign and diving language with our hands so that we could communicate with one another. We spent the whole time playing and taking pictures and videos with my gopro.


 


I could’ve stayed down there forever. But the time set for that dive had way too quickly come to an end. Even though we both still had a little over 1000 psi left, we slowly made our ascent and our three minute safety dive. With our ears gurgling to clear and my nose bleeding, we broke the surface of the water and filled our BCDs with air while we floated and waited for the boat to come pick us up. I took one last look beneath the surface with my goggles and realized that if a person stands on the beach or even on a boat and just looks at the surface, he’s missing out on a whole other world that lies beneath the waves. What a blessing it is to experience something so amazing that few people will ever have the chance to see.


Climbing up onto the boat for the last time was a feeling like I had never had before. I was overwhelmed by all of the beauty I had just witnessed. While I try to climb out of the water onto the boat, I feel as if I am like Ariel from The Little Mermaid, who just learned how to use her feet for the first time. I was so accustomed to living the laid back life of swimming in the sea. Using my feet for walking onto the boat was rather difficult. I plopped down onto my seat in exhaustion after I had miraculously managed to get myself onto the boat. Slowly, each of us made our way onto the boat and began to pack up our things. Hannah and I, as well as a few others, decided to spend our last boat ride on the front of the boat, or shall I say, the bow. As we started making our long journey back to the hotel, the waves were fascinatingly fun! Those of us on the front were having the times of our lives. The ocean water gave us a splash to the face every now and then. Ben was at the front of the boat and kept rocking and pushing down every time we hit a wave so that we would crash into it even harder. During this time of laughter and choking on water, I found myself reflecting on my time at Cozumel. It was one of those moments that I was overwhelmed by how incredible life truly is. Diving beneath the surface of the ocean showed me how creative God is. The creatures that call the ocean their home were all so uniquely made to thrive in their environment. Witnessing the corals and their inhabitants made me appreciate how methodical the earth was created. My time spent in Cozumel was a beautiful time spent with building friendships and expanding my education. Our last day diving was a day that reflected the highlights of our trip, and for that, we are eternally grateful.

 Yours Truly,
Hannah and Sidney




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