Fear Not, the Deep Open Seas

Once upon a time, there was a girl who was attracted and mesmerized by the ocean. But she had been conditioned to be terrified of the deep open seas. Growing up she heard that the ocean was bad, she heard of people drowning, and she was told that ocean water was extremely damaging to her kinky coily hair.

One day, shortly after she traveled to an island known for its amazing reefs, she refused to go diving when a friend asked her to go. The reply: “You are missing a whole world!” When those words were uttered, the girl remembered a promise made to herself many years ago to not to let fear stop her from experiencing things and discovering new places. So, she tried a Discover Scuba Diving class even while being afraid. So afraid, in fact, that she did not want to get off the boat. Her instructor Dizzy the Mermaid was patient and coaxed the girl to jump off the boat!

When she finally jumped and floated into the ocean, the girl discovered a world so incredible, her life changed forever.

She discovered, to her amazement, all the vast variety of brilliantly colored fish and corals. Soon the wonder and beauty of the deep ocean was much bigger than her fear. She realized that while the ocean is the boss, she also loves to fascinate those who choose to respect and not fear her. The girl was so captivated, the next day she signed up to be certified in open water scuba diving up to 60 feet. But she did not stop there. Discovering that her own mind was quietest in the depths of the sea, the girl proceeded to get an advanced scuba certificate allowing her to dive up to 100 feet.

That girl was me! Desiree (aka Dizzy the mermaid), a staff at Nature Island Dive, located in the south of Dominica, was my instructor.