Those who dream are resourceful and those who are resourceful make their dreams a reality

Sunday 18 January 2015

Diving in Deep (The Great Barrier Reef)

The view of the sun setting from The Great Barrier Reef
Limitless 

December 11th - December 15th

Cool blue. Sun above. Nothing below.

Heart, adventure and a rebellious thirst to defy the laws of human nature.

Have you ever breathed under water? How did it feel? Did you breathe heavily? Or did the scenery down under take your breath away?

Cairns, a small city in northern Queensland is home to the worlds largest coral reef system known globally as The Great Barrier Reef. According to its website, the reef is "larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible from space." Pretty gnarley huh?

Fortunately, I received the opportunity to dive into this experience...deep.

I arrived to this natural oasis of wonder on November 10th and was immediately taken aback by the scorching heat and sticky humidity. Yuck. I wasted no time in escaping the tropical weather and splashing into a cool pool of learning.

Before even arriving to Australia, I knew exactly what I had to experience. I chose Australia because of The Great Barrier Reef. With global warming and coal drilling near the reef coming in at full force, I knew it would only be a matter of time before the majestic reef ceases to exist. So, I chose adventure and I chose challenge. Scuba Diving had always seemed to be a serene yet adrenaline inducing sport.

A small tank of oxygen, a stinger suit, a mask, and you - 18 meters under. Who would put themselves in such danger just for a closer look at coral? Who could possibly have that much faith in themselves to make snap decisions that are possibly life saving? Crazy, right? Maybe, or just challenging. And that's exactly what I did.

I won't bore you with the logistics of pool training, skill sets and my day to day so here's all you need to know:

December 11th - Training Dives (Pool)
December 12th - Training Dives (Pool) + PADI Exam
December 13th - First day on the boat (2 Dives)
December 14th - Open Water Scuba Diver Certification and Night Dive with Sharks (4 Dives)
December 15th - Last Day on the boat (3 Dives)


Getting pumped for a dive on The Great Barrier Reef
A picture of the diverse coral and marine wildlife found throughout the reef. Photo Credit: Charlotte Serkumian 
My beautiful scuba diving mates from around the world. Jason, my diving instructor, is in the back wearing an aqua blue shirt.

Some would say their favorite part of the experience was observing 400+ types of coral while others would say it was studying 1500+ species of tropical fish while still others would claim it was the sheer thought of becoming scuba certified on The Great Barrier Reef.

Although a fan of all three, my favorite part was in conquering my own fears. It was in testing my ability to defy comfort and exert bravery and fierceness under pressure. It was being surrounded by God and all holy while maintaining my logic. Swimming with sharks...feeling my blood heat and my heart thump clicked something inside of me. Only I control me. The situation is meaningless. What matters is how I react to the context and how my actions reflect my values.

It was beautiful, the air was fresh, the water pure and my heart, a feasting ground for personal challenge. This was my experience. Who I was before was irrelevant. I had reclaimed my optimistic mind and hunger for challenge. I could withstand all adversity, conquer and then grasp a greater meaning regardless of context. All I needed was a rejuvenated mind reclaimed 18 meters down in the depths of a land down under.

The Great Barrier Reef and Nemo himself. Photo Credit: Peter Ma 

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