As the boat skimmed the water, I gazed out over the vast Pacific Ocean into the horizon, where the rising sun that was just starting to illuminate the world. I couldn’t wait to witness all the incredible underwater life that was so diverse and could only be found in Hawaii. I put my hand down to skim the glassy water, when out of nowhere, a giant Humpback Whale emerged from the water not fifteen feet away from our boat. The majestic mammal flicked its tail and sprayed water onto everyone on the boat. That was one of only a few truly jaw-dropping moments that I have ever seen. Little did I know what was still to come that morning.
I had no idea what to expect out of this snorkeling trip. I had never been to Hawaii, but I had a guess that this was going to be something special. The words that our guide was saying were coming in one ear and out the other for me. At last, he finally gave the “okay” for us to start snorkeling. With my camera in hand, my tube, and my flippers on, I was more than ready to explore underwater. As I jumped out of the boat, I felt the satisfaction of the waves gently flowing over me, and I realized that I was in paradise. Nothing compared to this. I snapped back from my dreamy state, as I became conscious of two fish swimming around my legs. I looked down to see a bright blue and yellow fish (strangely similar to Dory in Finding Nemo) and also a green one swimming around in circles, as if they were playing a game. Ten minutes later, when I had grown tired of watching the fish, I slowly swam around some coral to find myself face to face with a turtle! It was completely unreal. I had never been that close to anything like that in my life. I was dumbstruck at how friendly that little turtle had been. I must have taken fifteen pictures of that turtle. I was heartbroken when I got the call to get back into the boat and go back to our hotel. To this day, I will treasure that tremendous trip forever. There is nothing in the world like Hawaii.