"The water was warm and the sun was bracing. I hadn't been diving in some years and it took a minute to adjust to the discomforts of being deep beneath the sea, relying on a tank for air and goggles for vision. But once past that, I found myself listening to my breath as I floated gently amongst the foreign inhabitants of the sea."
"I found myself constantly distracted and awed by one beautiful thing to another—colorful coral, sparkling schools of fish and the occasional shark flashing by. Getting to visit this world while scuba diving is always fleeting; you can only stay for as long as there is air for you to breathe in your tank."
"Those moments of being surrounded by schools of colorful fish like bigeye snapper, watching anemones sway in the current, and catching glimpses of sharks and sea stars are worth the limited visit."
Raja Ampat, located in Indonesia's Southwest Papua province, hosts some of the world's richest marine biodiversity. A recent diving expedition revealed the stark differences between underwater and terrestrial environments. Initial discomfort with deep-sea diving—managing air tanks and goggles—gave way to wonder at the diverse marine life. Colorful coral formations, schools of bigeye snapper, swaying anemones, sharks, and sea stars created moments of constant awe. The experience, though limited by air supply duration, provided profound connection with an alien world where marine creatures observed the diver as intently as being observed. The brevity of such visits underscores their preciousness.
Read at www.npr.org
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