SNORKELING AT NIGHT
ByMELODY WANG
“Where are my flippers?” I asked my friend Stephanie. After changing into my wet suit I had lost track of my flippers. The sky was a deep royal blue with stars beginning to peek out. I could see the Big Dipper shining down on me. A cool breeze blew against my skin and I could feel my goose bumps surfacing. I was about to go snorkeling in the vast Pacific Ocean. Swimming with the mysteries of the sea made me feel anxious. “What would I find?” The only thing I knew I was going to find a massive amount of kelp because I was at Emerald Bay Camp in Catalina, California. This area is known for its kelp forests and emerald waters.
As my naturalist’s group waddled over to the kayak-lined shore in buoyant wetsuits, we were each handed a flashlight. “This is your only source of light. If you plan on using the moon, good luck,” my naturalist had said this with a smirk. We put on our flippers and gently walked backwards into the water. Expecting it to be cold, the water was surprisingly warm. The sun had heated the ocean during the afternoon, and radiated its heart during the night.
After my group had entered the water, we began to cruise the coastline. Now I realized why my naturalist had given us flashlights because it was so dark! I flashed my light at a kelp stock a few feet in diameter. I saw a few specks of bright orange and took a second look. Orange Garibaldi, California’s state fish, began to appear everywhere. Wisps of silver were dashing before my eyes as I realized they were fish too. My friend had tugged on my arm to get my attention and when I saw what she wanted to show me, my heart skipped a beat. A few feet above the ocean floor was a leopard shark about a foot long. I turned to see if anyone else was looking, but turned my head into a big stock of slimy kelp. A few minutes after, my naturalist had all of our attention and he told us to turn off our lights. As flashlights began to turn off, we were in complete and utter darkness. All I could hear was the splashing of snorkelers trying to get their heads out of the water. I could see the glare of the moon on the water, but the moon was behind a cliff and not visible. Our naturalist began to speak, “Place your hand in the water and shake it like your trying to scare a fly. What you see…is a surprise.” As the snorkelers obediently obeyed the naturalist, I could hear excitement pervading among the crowd. I stuck my head under water and saw little glowing green dots surround my waving hand. My naturalist had explained that these were bioluminescents. A few minutes passed so we turned our flashlights back on and began to head back to the camp. The kelp began to clear as we searched the white sand on the ocean floor. Crabs and flounder appeared here and there as the floor became shallower. We finally arrived to the pebbled coast as a cold breeze blew against my face. I shivered as I put my dry clothes back on.
After returning all my gear, I returned to my cabin. Exhausted, I immediately fell asleep to the chirping of crickets. From days of hiking, kayaking, and fun games at night, the nighttime snorkel was the most memorable. This was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.