“On a side note, while we have snacks for you on the boat, they are not for the fish. I realize this is rather tempting, but please do not feed the animals that you encounter. The dolphins and sea turtles are curious creatures and will enjoy being pet and fed. Please do not do either of these things as you could disrupt the natural order of life in this area. It does not help to try and domesticate them. Synchronize your watches now. It is currently oh-eight-thirty. You are to be on my deck no later than thirteen hundred or you will be left. Have fun people.”
With that, the small boat roared off, taking us miles ahead of the cruise ship. We could barely see Bermuda off in the distance, or Bimini with our docked ship behind us. It was rather eerie to be bobbing about with just glimpses of land and our cruise ship. I knew that wouldn’t last though, and by the time we were finished with our dive, the ship would probably be closer to Bermuda than we were.
As we put on our gear, I was happy to note that both Keith and I were wearing the Neptunic shark gear. It was top of the line, and really helped calm my fear of being mauled by sharks. After securing the camera strap to my wrist and my bowie knife on my thigh, I checked Keith’s gear and oxygen supply, then turned so he could check mine. I’d forgotten how heavy all the equipment was and couldn’t wait to get in the water. We tethered together and at Jorge’s signal, went overboard.
My pulse was racing; I focused all my energy on keeping my breathing steady. All I could envision was leaping into the opening maw of a great white. My eyes reflexively closed shut—if I were to get eaten, I certainly didn’t want to witness it. Something swam in front of me, I felt a hand caress my face and I opened my eyes to see Keith facing me so that he could make sure I was okay. Seeing that neither of us was shark bait calmed me a bit. He gestured in front of us, encouraging me to take in the beauty I was missing. I was in awe. The Investigating Nature channel couldn’t encompass the beauty of what I was witness to.
We were hovering just above reefs filled with coral, seaweed, and wreckages the ocean was slowly working on claiming. Fish of all sizes and colors swam around our little group, investigating the strange visitors to their habitat. Keith and I meandered down toward the reef. Sea turtles swam up to us, head butting us and allowing us to feel the slick algae-covered shells protecting them. It was spectacular. I almost forgot to take pictures for Ashlyn. She’d be in heaven right now.
Next to Janice Kansas, Ash loved dolphins and sea turtles more than anything. As I was filling my memory card up with dozens of photos of the turtles, a pod of dolphins arrived to join the fun. They swam around us, darting close enough to touch, then swimming quickly out of reach.
The reef was awash in colors. Plants and creatures were swaying in the current; fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors swam around us as if we didn’t exist. Sea horses darted out from their hiding place of seaweed to play in the bubbles created by our regulators. This was definitely more amazing than the shallow dive we’d had yesterday in Bimini.
We continued to dive to the first of the shipwrecks we could reach safely, and started to explore. The reef had caves with eels slithering in and out. I shivered as we swam by. Sea snakes and eels were on the list of things I never particularly wanted to experience. The shipwrecks started to the side of the reef with coral growing all over. My heart pounded with fear and excitement as we approached the first ship. It was spectacular and looked to be about fifteenth century, completely cleaned out of anything but the iron and wooden fixtures.
I gently brushed my hand across the side, expecting the wood to crumble but it didn’t. It was surprisingly sturdy under my palm, slick with algae, covered in bits of reef, but strong. I felt like a mermaid searching for the lost treasure of humans. The ships had holes in their sides; some were completely broken in half. The sun shone through the waves, glittering and sending shadows everywhere amongst the wreckage.
Keith let me explore on my own, but he was always close by to lend a reassuring hand in case I became scared or nervous. His friends were in my peripheral, and Stuart and Maurice were holding hands while they swam. It was one of the most romantic things I had ever seen. I snapped a picture of the two of them.
Keith went ahead of me into the belly of the halved ship, while Stuart and Maurice followed through the first wreck. There was really only space for us to swim in single file, and the water was slightly cooler in the ship, where the sun never entered. I forced myself to stay calm with these three experienced divers. I knew Keith wouldn’t lead me into a place that would be trouble. He held a flashlight that seemed to appear out of nowhere. I’d been too preoccupied with myself when we were loading up to see what he’d packed. He illuminated seaweed, shelving, stairs, and some very old frames devoid of the pictures they once held. It was oddly eerie, and the sound of my
