The Paradise Plunge

Schools of shimmering blue fish darted and turned, like lightning strikes below me. Zebra-striped fish floated royally by with their long yellow fins trailing behind them…what world had I entered?

I breathed in the sweet air of Maui’s Hawaiian-fresh ocean air. Ah! The warm breeze tickled my skin and whipped my hair around. I watched as the brilliant, white-crested waves surged and crashed; churned and twirled against the towering and rough, dangerous-looking yet welcoming crater that called my name.

I imagined tropical trees bending down with their palms in a welcoming and open embrace.

I gazed into the sparkling coral reef water. A mosaic forest of colourful coral held an endless rainbow of sea creatures. I slipped into the twinkling-warm turquoise water. Instantly I discovered the bitter taste of the ocean. Salt. I sank low to catch my first glimpse of this under-water paradise.

My eyes popped wide open.

Schools of shimmering blue fish darted and turned, like lightning strikes below me. Zebra-striped fish floated royally by with their long yellow fins trailing behind them. Slender tentacles of pink sea anemones swayed gracefully in the soft, underwater current. Some fish were deep orange, likes flames on candles. Others were candy striped and yellow-bellied, with indigo blue and lime green tails. What world had I entered?

A racoon-masked butterfly fish fluttered in and around red sponges shaped like smoke stacks. I paddled closer to the ocean’s bottom, where I could feel the pressure sinking in on my back. I knew I had a limited time of holding my breath as I’m not the best at this, so I snatched my water-proof camera which was strung around my wrist. I snapped a photo of a smiling, bright green turtle, floating gently up for air. I followed him upward and noticed his smile as his face hit the sunshine and air.

Bright lemon fish brushed through my fingers and tickled my toes and I shrieked and giggled. They were swimming so zip-zap fast while they darting towards bread crumbs being thrown overhead by tourists on the boat.

I observed the ocean one last time.

“Aloha,” I said to my new-found, wondrous sea creature friends. “I’ll be back again.”