A couple of years back we got scuba certified as a family. This year we took our first real dive trip. We stayed at the amazingly located Itza Lodge on Long Caye which is part of the Lighthouse Reef in Belize. Since we are still learning we did most of our diving right off Long Caye and also at nearby Half Moon Caye, which also offers some spectacular bird watching (including red footed boobies and frigatebirds). We visited the famous Great Blue Hole but went snorkeling there as the dive requires a depth of 130 feet to reach the underwater stalactites.

Scuba diving is what I imagine space travel to be like, clearly shaped by watching too much Star Trek: You get to experience weightlessness (technically neutral buoyancy) and you encounter species completely unlike anything on earth (meaning dry land). Our most amazing encounter was an octopus on our first ever night dive. The fluidity of its body – which has no internal or external skeleton – is a stunning sight to behold. We also saw a sea turtle and a list of fish too long for this post (including eagle rays and a decent sized reef shark).

I think it is impossible to go diving and not come away with a renewed (or newfound) sense of awe and a desire to help protect the oceans and especially the coral reefs. I am looking forward to more excursions under water – and for suggestions for places to do so.