I peered into the crystal-clear waters. “You said we’re going to make four stops. Will we see something different each time?”
He grinned. “That’s the plan.” He switched the engine off.
I’d seen a storm not long after I’d arrived, and although the days that followed had been better, this was without a doubt the best so far. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the sunlight sparkling on the water made everything bright.
How does that hymn go? “All Things Bright And Beautiful”?
That pretty much described what I was seeing.
I gazed at the gear lying in the bottom of the boat. Nick had asked for my shoe size, and now I understood why: the fins had to be a good fit. He’d also told me to bring my board shorts and a tee. Something about preventing sunburn.
My pulse was fast, and I felt so freaking full of energy. I’d never done this, and I couldn’t wait to get started.
“Now you need to focus, all right?”
I straightened. “Got it, boss.”
He chuckled. “You don’t have to go that far.” He grabbed a mask. “This has to have a good seal all around. If it fogs up while you’re in the water, just come to the surface, let water in, then tilt it so it all flows out again. That will clear it.” Then he picked up a snorkel. “This has a valve at the top that shuts the water off. Remember to keep your face down so the snorkel is at the right angle, pointing up.”
“And if I want to go deeper?”
“You breathe naturally for a couple of minutes, then take a big deep breath. You roll forward, with your feet above the water. They act like a weight, pushing you down. If the pressure gets too much, pinch your nose and blow, like you do on a plane.” His lips twitched. “Don’t touch anything, okay? Especially coral. Besides, you don’t know how it will react with your skin.” He cocked his head. “Did you remember to apply sun block to your neck?”
I couldn’t resist. “Yes, boss.” I was bouncing on my seat pad.
Nick laughed. “You can’t wait to get in there, can you?” He pointed to the water. “You’re going to see manta rays.”
“Cool.” I put on my mask, and Nick checked the fit. I snapped the snorkel into position, and slipped my feet into the fins.
“Remember what I said. Don’t use your hands to move, just your legs.”
I gave him the thumbs-up.
Nick put on his own gear, and we were finally ready to get into the water.
That first glimpse of a beautiful underwater kingdom was breathtaking.
There’s so much life down here.
I gazed at the floor of the lagoon, where dark manta rays swam by, serenity in motion, their backs adorned with a single stripe. They were… I struggled to find the word that would encapsulate the sight.
Majestic.
Fish drifted below us, slow and steady, ignoring our presence. Nick had said these were triggerfish, and there seemed to be several varieties in differing colors.
Nick swam at my side, pointing at some of the fish. Then he indicated the manta rays, and I got the message. We trod water for a moment before taking deep breaths and pushing down toward the ocean floor. We swam a few feet above the rays, and there had to be about fifteen or so. Nick signaled, and we rose to the surface.
I clambered onto the boat, unable to rein in my grin.
“That was awesome.”
Nick beamed. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Our next stop is the coral gardens.”
My day was shaping up to be perfect.
By the time Nick steered the boat toward the dock at Vaitape, I had a whole new experience to put in a future book. I’d even use the part where I giggled underwater at the comic antics of the butterfly fish, and got water up my nose. We’d spotted so many eagle rays I’d lost count, but the highlight had to be the moray eels. Their sharp little teeth gave them a scary appearance, but Nick stroked one, and that was so incredible, I’d had to do the same.
It was magical.