After hopping back on the boat, I imagined all the wonders that I haven’t seen beneath the surface of the ocean.
Merely 26 miles off the California coastline, Catalina Island’s waters don’t resemble anything like the rest of the state. The turquoise hues represent a cleaner quality, making the waters the perfect candidate for a first snorkeling experience. After inviting some folks to come along, we used a friend’s sailboat and disembarked from Long Beach Marina to the island.
We were blessed with an unprecedented event during the four hour journey. After only a few miles out of the harbor, a gray whale came up for air just 30 yards off from the boat’s starboard side; it was the closest I’ve ever seen one. The winds were also consistent enough that we used both sails without the engine for almost the entire length of the trip.
After eating breakfast the next morning, the captain took the boat towards the northwestern part of the island — away from the town of Avalon and other visitors. We anchored 50 meters away from shore and brought out the snorkeling gear. A few people, me included, were nervous as we’ve never swam in the ocean before. The water depth also changed quite dramatically – the boat anchored only 25 feet above the ocean floor, but the depth immediately plunged to 200 feet adjacent to us. After putting on the gear, I slid into the water and, after a second of deliberation, peered straight down.
The sight exceeded my expectations. All I’ve ever known of swimming in the ocean was: dark, muddy, dirty, and non-visible. I immediately spotted a small group of fish swimming right underneath us – I assume they were feeding off the kelp surrounding our boat. A couple small corals rested on the ocean floor comprised of white sand, but not much else was visible on the bottom. After a few minutes of scouring, two sea lions were spotted swimming beneath the rocks to our left.
After hopping back on the boat, I imagined all the wonders that I haven’t seen beneath the surface of the ocean. I felt disappointed not being able to get a close look at the two small corals, especially with the understanding that they’re often filled with wildlife. As we sailed back towards the main land, we were once again blessed with several dolphins swimming alongside the boat. This experience accelerated my desire to obtain a diving certificate, and I intend to do so before the year ends.
