Scuba diving can make you see the world differently. This is what happened to me when I went scuba diving with my dad in the Philippines.
The weather was hot and the water was warm and crystal blue. You could clearly see the colorful coral down below, which was only 20-30 feet deep. My jaws dropped when I saw exotic fish, plants, coral and other colorful unique sea creatures. They were so amazing and pretty. Imagine seeing jack fish, sturgeons, barracuda, jellyfish, parrot fish, sardines. Yellow, blue, green, red, orange, you name it. Our tour guide, Benjo, a pro diver, gave us bread to feed the fish. It tickled when the fish nibbled on my fingers. It was fun.
â–º QUARTER FINALIST 2012 TEEN TRAVEL WRITING SCHOLARSHIP
In Marine Station Sanctuary in Cebu, we touched nurse sharks and stingrays as they glided so elegantly across the water. Their skin was very slippery and rubbery. You might think, “why is a child touching a shark?”. Well nurse sharks are actually the friendliest sharks in the world. There were were this little needle fish that stuck its head in and out of the coral reef. I kind of laughed. I thought it was cute and funny. Although it wasn’t funny when it tried to bite us! That little thing scared me at first. But not to worry since these little needle fish don't have any teeth, at least that’s what my tour guide said.
In Camiguin Island, a southern part of the Philippines, we stayed at Bahay Bakasyun Resort. We went scuba diving and saw an old shipwreck. I was excited that I actually saw an old shipwreck. That was so cool. But wait…Benjo told us that the shipwreck was actually fake. It was just a prop. Huh? Oh well. It looked real and we had fun swimming through it which was good enough for me.
Benjo also showed us the deep and dark place of the ocean, which the locals call it, "the point of no return"— the abyss. Look down and you don't know what's down there. Just pitch black. Imagine that? I remember just staring into the abyss. My dad and I backed away just a little bit. Our eyes were wide open. We were just in awe. We were scared no doubt about that. I was intrigued and kept thinking, "what's down there?" The abyss was just creepy and mysterious. It was one of those things that I will never forget.
If you get a chance, scuba diving is a must. For me, it was awesome. I would do it again and again. You'll see that there's another world down there and it's quite beautiful.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
