A Chance to Sea Life

“Hades would like to see you Astrid.” I nodded quietly and climbed onto the boat.

I breathe in the warm air as I gaze out at my beautiful home. So wide I’m not even certain I’ve seen all it’s beauty that lies beneath. I can see the shadows of tiny fish swimming above the soft sand. They are so small they look as though they are microscopic. I reach down and run my hands through the wet substance that is so thick that my muscles grow tired the deeper my hand goes. As I lift my hand up, the sand makes a cloud of powder, slowly drifting through the water. The waters are so calm as though nothing could anger them. Each wave slowly rocking back and forth to the rhythm of the sea. I lower my fins beneath the water and a coolness rushes through me as I feel the cold, wet water. The soft breeze brushes against my skin with the scent of an indescribable satisfaction. Hours passed as the warmth of the sun seemed to just soak into my skin and relax my mind.

I snuggled into the corner of his shoulder and neck, breathing in. "We're going to be waiting here for a while then."

It took my breath away. We were on a cliff edge made of sharp, black lava rock. The hotel lobby looked out onto the ocean. I cherished this moment. The waves were calming and water looked as if it was dancing beneath the sunlight. It was a rich, blue in some spots and in others a bright, aquamarine, light green. Streaks of purple and turquoise speckled on the surface on the water. I hadn’t seen anything like it before. The shimmering, creamy, white sand gleamed in the sun’s heat. As the blue waves crashed against the black lava rock, the water sprang into the air shooting a light mist in the sky. The Grand Bliss truly is a beautiful destination. Waiting for our hotel room to be ready my family and I walked down to the beach to a little seating place called Mandy’s. I loved the feeling of the warm sand squishing under my feet it made my calf muscles clench to keep myself balanced. I stopped walking just before the tide touched my toes. I craved the water touching my skin so, at that exact moment so I tore off my tank top that I was wearing on top of my bathing suit and just stood there taking it all in, the sun on my bare tanned shoulders, the warm, comfortable sand beneath my feet, and the insane need to jump into the salty

Looking straight ahead, there was absolutely no sign of life. I had never felt so small until I came upon that infinite, stretch of blue. Noticing the six thousand foot drop beneath me, my stomach flopped. The coral went down so deep that it eventually became swallowed by darkness. I shivered. Turning, I followed the rest of the group. While drifting along the looming wall, I was entranced by the incredible sea life. Two reef sharks swam by as if they as if they were sniffing out a potential threat; in our black wet suits, we must have looked like penguins in their predatory eyes. Up above, a spotted eagle ray soared through the water, causing every creature, including me, to cower in its powerful presence. I was so distracted by the beautiful sight that I forgot to check my computer. Grabbing it quickly, I realized I had dropped to a whopping one hundred and nine feet! Watching my depth, I slowly ascended upwards until I reached the other

“It’s so high though and I swear to the Lord up above that there are sharks under the surface,” I nervously replied.

“Are you ready,” my dad said eagerly as we turned to the gyms parking lot.

I stood there in amazement watching the ceaseless waves lap at the shore. The water shocked me with its beauty, the deep blue hues and white crests were a picture of paradise. I dropped my towel, sat on it and gazed out onto the incredible expanse of water. Being at the ocean in person is a totally different experience than looking at a picture or video. I sat there as my sisters ran out into the waves, at that moment I formally realized where I was. The overwhelming size of the glorious ocean made me feel very small. Thinking about Aurora, Indiana and what I had around me made me want to never return home. The oceans size, and being so far away from home shattered my inner world and rebuilt it into a more accurate size. For the longest time I thought that I would graduate high school go to a local college and have a job in the town I grew up in. I realized I was living at home with no thought whatsoever as to where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do with my life. My trip to the Gulf of Mexico made me realize that life is full of unknown possibilities, and I had an entire world that I needed to experience. Just going to Alabama had shown me the diversity of a different place. I realized there were other types of people out there, not just “farm boys” wearing boots and spitting dip

Driving down the narrow streets of downtown Key West, he and his cousins hopped on a boat named Fury. While in the stern, they sat down on the burning seats that had been sitting in the flaming sun. However, their whining quickly faded after they were bombarded with plates of breakfast foods. After stuffing themselves full of finger foods, they were unaware that they arrived at the coral reef. The boys glanced as they were astonished, to see the only living coral reef in the United States. Quickly, they grabbed their snorkeling gear and entered the freezing waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Looking down, they saw a variety of beautiful fishes swimming under. Furthermore, the colossal coral reef ravishingly stood there in the ocean. Just seeing the gorgeous reef felt like nirvana. However, Henry’s pleasure suddenly vanished after hearing the sharp sounds a whistle. Lifeguards loudly shouted, “ Stop standing on the coral reef!” As Henry turned around, he noticed two imbeciles laughing while standing up on the reef. Soon, they hopped off the rocky reef to prevent further trouble. Then, a noisy siren sounded that called everyone to return to the boat. The boat soon flew off at immense speeds and in no time they arrived back on the coast of Key

The whole weekend had been sunny. The day following our arrival, we played on the beach; the glaring sun beat down on us. I waded into the clear, harmonious water that lapped at my ankles steadily. Only the disruption of a passing boat or Jet Ski broke the steady, faithful surge and the calming sound of the waves gently kissing the shore. My family and I were staying at our friends’ house on Lake Roosevelt. The lake was gorgeous; the clear, light water transformed into a deep, rich blue-green the farther from shore my eyes traveled. Broad plateaus, covered in brilliant green foliage, surrounded the body of water. No hint was given as to what was about to be unleashed upon the lake and its

“I did not think you were serious?” I called after him as he moved towards the ocean. I grabbed him by the shoulder trying to stop him.

Thousands of climbers have reached the highest point on Earth, hundreds have left our planet 2 and ventured into space, but only two people have descended to the deepest point in the ocean. 3 Scientists are looking to discover water on other planets without fully knowing what is in our 4 own oceans. Bearing in mind the planet is over 70% water, no more than 5% of that has been 5 explored. I want to study Marine Biology because I want to understand the most fundamental 6 feature of our existence.

Last week, our whole class attended a week-long outdoor school, Walden West. I had a great time, and met several friends there. Even though I enjoyed and loved every part of it, my favorite part was our outdoor field class. During field class, our instructor, Rae, would take us hiking. On the hike we’d see things we’d never seen before; different types of fungus, bacteria and invertebrates (The FBI), new animals like newts, deer, bats, and slugs, and learn about plants.

The sound of the emerald green ocean water crashing against the shores filled my ears. Children ran along the shore, smiling from ear to ear while laughing amongst each other clearly enjoying their day. Some people were searching contently for sea shells, that were visible for miles. I looked out at the ocean, it stretched out far into the horizon; as far as my eyes could see. There were jetty’s that were perfectly placed within the ocean. I could smell the salt radiating off of the water. I had been waiting for this moment for a long time; I dashed into the ocean I’d been waiting for for the past

Creeping to the edge of the rock ledge, I am overwhelmed by the frightening height. Although the path leading up to my refuge is obscured from view, the land in front of the bench is barren rock, opening out onto a large expanse of sky. Squinting in the sunlight, my eyes follow an osprey soaring free over the water. I inhale deeply, letting the refreshing salt air rush through my lungs and clear my head. I peer over the edge, and watch the receding tide far below. From my perch, I witness the emergence of a whole new world from the depths of the ocean. Rocks, seaweed, barnacles, and tide pools appear from nowhere, bringing sea life with it. The soft waves lap against the rocks, singing in harmony with the cool breeze that drifts through the trees, gently rustling the leaves.