My very first trip to Bonaire, a tarpon scared the bejeezus out of me. I was 6.
Bonaire was my first dive trip ever. My first Island. First foreign country, boat ride, “dive class”, my first adventure…. and my first night snorkel.
After leaving us at home on their summer dive trips for the better part of 6 years, my parents and their friends finally decided it was time to try this with the kids in tow. I remember eating up every bit of it.
Bonaire is where this all started. It’s where I made up my mind about diving and island-hopping being the foundation of my life.
On one of our last nights, Dad took me snorkeling off the beach of our hotel. Said I had to see it, there was nothing better than the ocean creatures at night. And he was right.
Until his light reflected the sides of three silver monsters, their eyes shining red in the light.
I was on his back in half a second, our dive was over, and I’ve been telling that story ever since.
Almost 30 years later, I finally made it back to Bonaire. This time a diver, with a whole scuba career under my belt, and slightly worried that it wouldn’t be the same place from the core memory I’ve held onto all these years. It was. And I felt every bit of ease and love for the place that I did when I was a kid.
And how fitting that on my very first dive, this tarpon was the face greeting me on the reef.
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