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Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
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“There I was, unsure of what to expect on my first ever dive into the ocean and before resurfacing my life had been forever changed.”

Green Morray Eel

Everyone has moments in their life that stand far out, above and beyond all others. My first time ocean diving was one of those.

Simply getting to that moment hadn’t come easy. I was burned out from work, life had become stale and I desperately needed something new and exciting to distract myself with. One night I came across an online ad for scuba diving lessons. I hadn’t ever given diving much thought before then, but something in me sparked and said lets give it a shot! Living in Phoenix, Arizona there isn’t exactly a lot of clear water around, so our training was done in an indoor pool; before squeezing into an extra thick wetsuit (which made me extremely claustrophobic) and finishing my certification in a very cold, dirty and murky lake. Training had come with a lot of struggles for me and in the beginning I was second guessing myself about whether this was right for me or not. After completing the course� I felt great satisfaction. I was certified and had overcome my own self doubts.

But I knew I hadn’t yet experienced what real scuba diving is all about. After dozens of hours of research I was on an airplane (yet another terrifying obstacle I had to overcome) and headed to Belize; planning to dive the world’s 2nd largest barrier reef, and the remarkable, legendary Blue Hole. That’s right.. I wasn’t starting my diving career out slow and steady, I was literally diving head first into the deep end.

Less than 24 hours after arriving to Belize, and minutes into my fist ever ocean dive, I found myself 80 feet underwater. The kind of water with such extraordinary visibility you can see clearly for hundreds of feet around you. Within minutes our 4-person group was surrounded by numerous nurse sharks, morray eel, large groupers and sea turtles. Amazed, stunned and instantaneously I was madly in love with scuba diving.

As we reached the bottom a lone nurse shark swam right under me:

Nurse Shark

Nurse Shark

More started to arrive, how exciting! (The white tube is filled with bait to attract them)

Nurse Sharks

Just as I was shooting pictures of the action and not paying attention to anything or anyone else around I looked up to see a bright green menacing face headed straight for me!!

Green Eel

I was freaked out by that eel, he wasn’t the least bit shy! He has apparently never heard of personal space. After he decided to swim by me without causing any bodily harm I was both relieved and filled with excitement. How amazing is this!?

Nurse Sharks

Within minutes more nurse sharks had arrived wanting to be fed along with large groupers. None of them were the least bit afraid of us, or each other. After the divemaster pet the eel I handed over my camera and he snapped one of me groping him:

Eel Petting

We spent roughly 45 minutes underwater and every one of them were simply amazing. I could have spent the entire day down there just observing all the magnificent creatures. Check out the video to see my freak out as the eel surprise attacks me, and see all the nurse sharks and groupers:

And some more of the eel:

This will always be that one special dive that changed everything and I get to watch it any time I find myself missing the water :)

I went on to dive the Blue Hole, and visited Roatan and Cozumel for diving trips since then. I’ve loved every minute spent underwater and cannot recommend it enough to anyone who’s interested in trying it.

Source


Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 5,563
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Thanks for sharing.
I cried into my mask at 79 feet on my first dive - which was after topside classes/training but before certification. At that moment I knew I wanted to do this forever! It adds such a dimension to ones life.


Harriette
Take only pictures leave only bubbles
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 8,880
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I've never been the same either.


A fish and a bird can fall in love, but where will they build their nest?

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10
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I learned how to dive after our honeymoon in 2004, in Ambergris Caye. My husband had been certified for 20 plus years. I loved snorkeling so I thought why not? Upon returning to the states I got certified. I hated it, I didn't "t feel comfortable, nothing to look at, dark etc. We returned to Ambergris caye 5 years later and I got talked into diving there. What a huge difference, it"s like night and day. It"s like an entirely different world there under the water. I fell in love. I want to thank my husband for making me try it there, and to Chuck and Robbie's for taking such go care of me.


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