A Trip Down Under
Four years ago, I first tried scuba
diving. I was with my family and some of our relatives. As far as I remember,
it was a sunny Sunday morning when we went to Sta. Ana Wharf near Magsaysay
Park. I was excited about the thought of experiencing this new thing but at the
same time, something was choking me from the inside – the thought of swimming
with sea creatures that could kill me and eat me up alive. Yes, I was really
nervous about trying it and I was also afraid for my family at the same time.
We went to the “Carabao” shop where
we could rent some equipment and have assistance from dive masters as we dive
into the deep sea. When everything was settled we took a ride in the boat. As
we came nearer to the islands, my heart was beating faster and faster. I was
really nervous, afraid like a little kid. I stopped talking to anyone from then
on, and I just kept on praying,
From there, our first stop was
Talicud Island, where we did some snorkeling. Despite my fear, I still managed
to jump into the crystal clear waters with my cousins. I was still afraid with
swimming with fishes and gigantic corals around me but still I enjoyed the
fifteen foot-deep snorkeling experience. The currents were really strong and
they carried us somewhere farther from our boat. We were carried that far
because of our life jackets; fortunately, all of us knew how to swim so we took
off our life jackets and swam to the other side of the boat where the little
stairs could be found and pulled ourselves up. It was a fun and scary
experience but the adventure did not stop there.
We had our lunch in an island that
was so peaceful we could really have the moment with Mother Nature. Listening
to the waves reaching the shores, the birds chirping, and the movement of the
trees made the moment relaxing and really special. It made me forget about the thought of scuba
diving in a few minutes. I was relaxed and at peace in that moment.
After our stay in the island, we
continued our expedition; we went to the part where we would start scuba
diving. They said that that spot has the most beautiful corals and many species
of sea creatures. My heart was beating faster than before, I was really afraid
of sharks, whales, sea snakes, and all sea creatures.
Each one of us had our own diving
instructors that would assist us. We put the equipment on, they gave us some
instructions and finally, we went deep into the sea. I was really afraid, I was
panicking. I could already feel the cold waters and see those dark parts of the
sea. Creepy! Then, when I looked on the other side, I saw the beautiful part of
the deep. It was really beautiful, a whole new world: the corals, the fishes,
the sea horses, and all kinds of sea creatures were really amazing. We swam to
get closer to the different kinds of corals and found different species of
fish. I was really stunned with the beauty of the world deep in the waters. I
seemed to forget the feeling of fear, but every time I looked at the deeper and
darker part of the sea, the feeling came back and I imagined worse things
happening to me. The time came for us to go back up. We had a little problem
but then we managed to go back to our boat and we finally headed back to Sta.
Ana Wharf.
The experience was really memorable
and breathtaking. I was really afraid of going in the deep part of the sea, but
I managed it. It was tough for me but the experience was worth it and I
realized that I wanted to do it all over again.
