Snorkel

“For me, I wanted everything to work so bad and it just wasn’t at the start. I asked about it and was reminded, get a good seal, so I’d take the mask off & make sure all my hair was out of the way. Put the mask on, and check the seal. I was good. Then I’d grab the mouthpiece and bite on it and make sure my lips were wrapped all the way around. And again, water. The guide said my mask appeared to be too low, so I resealed it higher. Again water. Not lying, I was getting frustrated. And as water kept getting in my mask and my mouth, I was having trouble breathing and being asthmatic, that’s a bad path to start down. I was using a lot of energy and it wasn’t working. I started swimming on my back but the guide (Hugo) came over and adjusted my mask, the distance the snorkel had and got me to tighten my vest again. My sister could tell it was really getting to me. But Hugo was really good and took time to make sure I got it. He knew my impatience & breathing were beginning to be a problem. He insisted I hold onto a rescue ring for a bit as we swam, me gaining confidence that the water wouldn’t be back in my mask or snorkel. It didn’t take long and then I was a relaxed snorkeler, I got the hang of it and started really loving it!”

“At one point I was surrounded by hundreds of Bar Jacks all swimming calmly in one direction (schooling). All of a sudden they parted (odd, because I had been swimming with them for several minutes without them seeming to notice), and I saw the biggest fish I’ve ever seen in my life swim five feet directly under me! The first thing I thought about was how every now and then you hear stories about HUGE catfish the size of Buicks at the bottom of deep lakes. I screamed in my snorkel, and swam as fast as I could back to the shore. After getting a grip on myself, I did a little research and from what I can tell it was a VERY large (I’m confident that it was at least 4.5 feet long) Black Grouper!! Too bad I didn’t have a camera on me. It is an experience that I will never forget.”

“Well, here goes nothing" I thought to myself as I jumped off the side. Ignoring every alarm going off in my head I paddled away from the boat and into the open water. I pulled my mask over my head and made the first attempt to submerge it under the water. It took me a few tried to get a steady breathing pace, but eventually I was able to stay under. [...] As I approached I began to see the reef and dozens of little fish swimming around beneath me. I was in awe.”

“During snorkeling, I have to breathe through the mouth which is what I’m not used to and so it takes some time for me to get comfortable. When we swam deeper into the sea, Suddenly, I was out of breath and I have difficulty in controlling my legs. I felt anxious as I get disoriented. I shouted, Glory, Glory, where are you?! Glory heard my voice, she quickly swam toward me and grabbed my hand. There was another guide also brought a life buoy to keep me afloat. Then, I told myself to relax, control my breathing and practice breathe through the mouth when I was afloat, so that I can familiarize it and feel comfortable when I snorkel. Slowly, I felt I am getting used to the way of breathing and I am able to snorkel along the surface with my face down, enjoy the sea sights. I saw different colours of coral in blue, red, brown, and some little cute fishes. Later, Ramesh unexpectedly shouted at us, Mari, Mari, sini ada Ikan Pari (Stingray)! We swiftly swam toward him and saw a stingray when both of us snorkel.”

“WOW. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The female turtle floated along so gracefully for its large size and seemed unphased by our presence. I swam a little closer, but not enough to alarm it or get in its way. With a quick flip of its back legs (fins?) it darted toward one of the dark ridges below the lava tubes. Before I could feel the disappointment of its departure, I turned around to see another sea turtle. This time it was a larger male that was covered in sea barnacles. This one stuck around even longer and seemed to swim with us in our little pack.”

“I was SO mesmerized that I lost track of time. I also had drifted farther out and then north into a surf zone. By the time I realized where I was, there was a bad riptide and I was a long way from the shore. There were also surfers around me! One almost hit me! I started to panic! I also had asthma so I began to have an asthma attack. I was a swimmer and bodybuilder and had very good breathing but the panic was getting the best of me.”