Down off the coast of a small piece of land is an underwater paradise that cannot be seen from above. The picture that I see in the water is filled with every color and shape. Darting fish like to swim in schools as seaweed floats like slimy green snakes that wrap around you. This is an adventure that won’t be forgotten.

As I jump into the warm turquoise water, the sting of the salt turns into a nice soothing feeling around my body. It feels as if you were being wrapped around with a giant heated blanket. I adjust my bulky goggles and stretch my lips over the mouthpiece.

“Are we all ready to go?” I ask the rest of the family as they prepare for our adventure.

“Not quite,” replies my mom. “First you need to buckle your life jacket.” Since I was the youngest and my mom just wanted me to be safe, I was unfortunately required to wear a life vest. Plowing my head into the water, I observed that the scene was very different from being on the shore looking into the ocean. Different types of coral litter the sandy floor along with spiky sea urchins and beautiful starfish. Suddenly the dark fear of sharks comes upon me. I look around frantically to make sure that nothing harmful is near me.

“Mel, is something bothering you?” my sister questions.

“Oh nothing, I am just a little nervous about meeting up with a shark. That’s all.” I was extremely glad when we didn’t spot any sharks or other scary monsters that dwell deep in the dark sea. We did come across a few sea turtles though. My mom tried to take pictures of them with the underwater camera as they gracefully swam away. Suddenly, an object glistened in the rays of the sun like a jewel, and caught my eye. I held my breath carefully, so I wouldn’t suck up any water into my tube. My flippers motored me down to the bottom of the ten foot water and I gently scooped up the pearly white item. I could tell right away that it was a seashell, but it was the biggest one I had seen that was not broken or chipped. Of course the stores had vastly beautiful shells, but now I found one on my own. As I popped my head up out of the ocean, my body suddenly froze with panic. We could barely see the shore and the rolling waves surrounded us. It felt as if I were stranded in the middle of nowhere.

“I think I like it better in the water,” I thought to myself. When I splashed my face back into the sea, I realized that all of this was like a humongous painting. The colors stood out brightly and the texture of the coral came alive. I felt like I was a part of a never ending aquarium. Fish of all types were so close I could touch them. Thousands of these creatures populate the huge ocean city like down town New York. The fish that looks like a flute was my favorite with its pointy body and long nose. Plants and coral shelter several small fish including clown fish that reminded me of the movie Finding Nemo. Although sting rays sometimes have a bad reputation, once you see them up close, they are gorgeous. Like birds, they flap their wings and calmly move through the water as if it were air.

The sea is amazing and filled with life. It never changes on the inside but still is a mystery to many people. Someone might pay a lot to see a picture perfect scene like this and I am grateful to have had the chance to enjoy it. No matter how many scary creatures or thoughts live in the ocean, it still is nature’s gift of life.