Into the ocean I dive...

"This area wouldn't be the one I'd have chosen for your lesson," the instructor told me, "But the other group who's going diving picked it and we're stuck." The boat ride to the dive site was lovely and the resort where we picked up the other two divers looked beautiful. "They're very eco-conscious at this resort," the instructor told me. "They keep the lighting mostly off at night and they didn't destroy the island when they set up the resort." He sighed. "I'd love to work there." The boat stopped in the middle of nowhere, it seemed, and dropped anchor. We suited up and dove in (this involves being pushed backward into the water - not for the faint of heart). There seemed to be nothing but murky water for miles around. We ran through several safety drills, including removing the mask and putting it back on. It definitely was a lot more unpleasant in salt water than in pool water but I did it and we were able to carry on. Except that diving that day was nothing like the happy dive I'd experienced in the corals a couple of days prior. Instead, the water was murky, fish was abundant - and there was an overwhelming sense of doom throughout the 40 minute dive. Seriously. I was convinced that a 50 foot shark was hiding in the murk, pondering whether or not to have a human snack. The fish life was entertaining but I definitely felt a chill. Finally, when we neared the boat, we surfaced and my instructor said, "I've run out of energy, mate. Can you tow me to the boat?" (Part of the safety drills). I swam my heart out, towing the instructor behind me and, when we were safely aboard the boat, he confided, "You know, I got the feeling that there was a very big predator out there today." Ugh. But yeah. I do want to go scuba diving again. And again and again!