Deep Dive
The sun was rising as Olivia stepped onto the pristine white sand of Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. It was finally here! Today was the day she would experience the incredible world beneath the ocean’s surface.
Olivia had received her Open Water SCUBA Certification a few months before booking her flight to the Cayman Islands. The certification process included 14 hours of eLearning and an in-person review quiz to ensure understanding. She was also required to devote 7 hours to training in a pool to display her skills.
The last phase of the certification process was to take part in four open water certification dives. To make it convenient for herself, she scheduled these activities during the past summer over two half-days on a weekend in the Annapolis area, as it was close to where she lived and worked.
With her heart pounding, Olivia approached the dive shop, her excitement bubbling.
Inside, a tall, weathered man named Captain Jack greeted Olivia. His weather-beaten skin spoke of a lifetime spent on the water, and his eyes held a twinkle of mischief. He told Olivia he had received the email attesting to her diving certification.
“So, this is your first time diving in Cayman waters, huh?”
Olivia nodded eagerly.
“Yes! I can’t wait to dive among all the beautiful fish and coral.”
Captain Jack smiled knowingly.
“Well, you’ve come to the right place, me dear. The Cayman Islands boast some of the most breathtaking underwater landscapes you'll ever behold.”
Olivia couldn’t help but have a huge smile as she listened to Captain Jack. She listened to every word of his briefing about diving safety, equipment, and the wonders that awaited her beneath the waves. As he finished, he handed her a 3mm shorty wetsuit she had requested when she made the reservation. She had her own mask and fins.
“A’right, Olivia. Suit up and meet me back here in fifteen.”
Olivia nodded and quickly made her way to the changing room. She experienced a mix of excitement and nerves as she zipped up the neoprene shorty over her dive skin. As she emerged from the changing room, she glimpsed herself in the mirror. The neoprene evoked a sense of empowerment and self-assurance. She was ready to conquer the unknown depths of the ocean.
Outside, Olivia joined Captain Jack and the rest of the diving group. They looked as eager as she did. As they boarded the boat, Olivia couldn’t help but notice the crystal-clear water glistening beneath her. It called to her, promising a world beyond her wildest dreams.
Laughter and anticipation filled the divers on the boat ride to the dive site. Olivia chatted with the other divers, sharing stories of their previous underwater adventures. She met Jenny from Boston and they agreed to partner on this dive.
The boat’s crew brought them their tanks and weights as they sat at the back of the boat. As the boat slowed to a stop, Olivia’s heart raced as she adjusted her equipment. The moment had finally arrived.
The captain reminded them again to dive in pairs. Olivia and her dive partner, Jenny, waited their turn to begin. When their turn came Olivia took a deep breath, adjusted the regulator in her mouth, held onto her mask, and stepped off the boat, plunging into the cool, clear water.
She gave Jenny the okay signal as they both adjusted their masks underwater. Jenny gave her an “okay” back and then signaled down, which she echoed.
The world around her transformed. As she descended into the crystal-clear turquoise waters, a vibrant and diverse underwater landscape unfolded before her eyes.
The visibility was striking, allowing her to see the world beneath the surface with remarkable clarity. Sunbeams danced through the water, creating a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of colors.
Schools of vibrant fish swam by, ones she had seen only in photos. She identified angelfish, parrotfish, sergeant majors, and butterflyfish, their scales shimmering like jewels. Their bright hues created a stunning contrast to the backdrop of the blue ocean.
The coral formations varied in shape, size, and color, ranging from delicate branches to massive brain corals, resembling forgotten ancient cities. Their vibrant hues of red, orange, purple, and yellow added to the brain overload of colors beneath the surface.
Olivia marveled at the beauty surrounding her. It was like a different realm where magic was everyday life. She swam alongside a sea turtle, feeling a profound connection to the gentle creature. She even spied an elusive and gentle-natured nurse shark resting on the ocean floor. The ocean seemed to embrace her, welcoming her into its secret realm.
As the dive ended, Olivia reluctantly began her ascent. She gave a thumbs-up to Jenny, signaling she was ready to make her way to the surface.
Something flashed in front of them. It had a long silver body with a fin like a whale’s. What was it? Not an eel, not a turtle, no dorsal fin like a shark. Olivia knew what her mind registered. She had seen a mermaid, her long, flowing hair cascading in the underwater current. Had Jenny seen what she saw?
She was reluctant to depart from this incredible world. She surfaced, pulling out her regulator, and waited for someone to pull her into the boat. Once on board with the equipment removed, Captain Jack greeted her with a knowing smile.
“Well, Olivia, what did you think of your first dive in Cayman waters?”
Olivia’s face shone as she laughed.
“It was outstanding, the most incredible experience of my life! It’s so beautiful down there!”
Captain Jack chuckled.
“Ah, me dear, you think you’ve seen it all now, don’t you?”
“We saw something we were not expecting. Is that what you mean?”
“What did you see?”
“I don’t know. It happened so quickly.” She turned to her dive partner.
“Jenny, did you see that big fish just before we surfaced?”
Jenny nodded. “It wasn’t anything I could identify, and it was so fast!”
Captain Jack’s eyes sparkled mischievously.
“What do you think it was, Olivia?”
Olivia hesitated before answering. “Um… well… um… ok, it looked like a mermaid!”
She raised her voice as the divers exchanged glances. “It could have been a massive fish tangled in seaweed. It happened so quickly.”
Jenny nodded in agreement. “Did anyone else see anything like that?”
Divers exchanged glances again and shook their heads. Captain Jack smiled.
“Ah, the wonders and mysteries of the sea! It’s not over yet, folks.”
Olivia’s eyes grew enormous. “What do you mean?”
“You’ll see, me frien’, the surprise ending is near. Look to the left of the stern.”
What more could there be? Just as she was about to ask, Captain Jack pointed towards the water. Four-hundred feet in the distance, a majestic humpback whale breached, leaping from the water, creating a resounding splash.
Olivia’s eyes widened in awe. It was breathtaking. Olivia sensed the immense power and elegance emanating from the majestic whale as it approached the boat.
Could the big fish that flashed past her and Jenny be a small whale or dolphin? Olivia didn’t think it was. Whales moved slower and the fish they saw was smaller than a whale and flatter than a dolphin.
In the cockpit, Captain Jack grabbed a digital camera hanging from a hook and began photographing the whale. As the whale dived beneath the silky waves, its tail seemed to bid farewell.
“Hey, folks! I know you’ve gotten photos with your phone, but I’ll send a copy of the ones I’ve taken to the email address you registered with us. The chances of seeing a whale in one's lifetime are less than 1%. Any time you see a whale, even one whale, you are truly privileged.”
Olivia breathed in the salty air as she considered the many wonders she had yet to discover. As the whale vanished into the endless ocean, Olivia realized her passion for the sea had just begun. She understood the need to bring attention to the delicate ecosystems that exist below, and the significance of valuing and safeguarding them.
Every time Olivia dived into the waters, she remembered the breathtaking encounter with the mermaid. Despite never seeing a mermaid again, her acknowledgment of the creature continued to inspire her exploration, cherishing, and protection of the wonders under the earth’s oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers.
Author’s Note
My earliest knowledge of mermaid sightings near the Cayman trench was during my childhood. Sailors and divers would often recount their encounters with these humanoid fishlike creatures.
Cayman's mermaid lore gave rise to the underwater mermaid statue, Amphitrite, known as Poseidon's wife in Greek mythology. The statue, crafted by Canadian artist Simon Morris, lives 60 feet underwater, a quarter mile from the coast of Grand Cayman. It will turn 20 years old this November.
Credits for photos used in the video I created (with the help of Canva) to introduce this post on Instagram and other social media, go to Focused Adventures, and drew.
Upcoming…
February’s writing prompt:
One Hundred-Word Wonders, 21 February 2024
Themes are GREED and GENEROSITY, and the two-word prompt is CHILDHOOD GAME. Write a 100-word story, poem, or creative non-fiction in any genre, using ONE theme only. Use the two-word prompt only once and exactly as is. Pieces should be exactly 100 words, no more or less. The 100-word limit does not include the title. Hold your piece until the 21st!
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I've only been to the Caymans once -- about 40 years ago. But I still remember snorkeling there like it was yesterday.
I've not been to the Caymans - and I'm not a swimmer, though I used a snorkel while on a rope ladder behind a snorkeling tour boat in Cozumel - photographing fish from above, so I appreciate the kind of environment but stayed safely on the boat. The beauty of a writer's words though, are that they can take you anywhere you mind wants to go. Thanks for providing me the opportunity to tag along.