Night Diving

The glimmer of the flash lights and glow sticks was basking all the way to the surface where I was cautiously snorkeling.  One of my greatest fears was being in the ocean at night, so naturally this venture was a big deal. This night trip was not something I necessarily wanted, but it was something I had to do for myself. The scuba divers were easy to follow for me. I skimmed the surface and occasionally got brave enough to free dive (hold my breath and dive down). The beauty of light in such darkness was entrancing. The sun had just set in a beautiful burst of oranges and pinks, typical for this part of the world, so the ocean still held some of the light of the day, but it slowly disappeared and the moon took over, casting its shimmers over the calm ocean.

However, the ocean, as peaceful as it is by night, is anything but sleepy.  The predators and nocturnal creatures awaken, and bio luminescence is abundant. I turned off my flash light to see the glowing at work. Waving my hand around, little plankton and worm bodies lit up in front of my eyes. It was overwhelming for a moment to think that this ocean was so incredibly full of life in every square inch of the place. I noticed some fish burrowing their way underneath their bed of coral and sand for the night. Shining my flashlight out into the open ocean, I could see for about thirty feet in front of me, and there were silhouettes of sea life in the distance.  Needless to say, it was nothing like I expected.