Summary

Wendi Gordon shares her passion for the ocean's beauty and marine life, recounting personal experiences and encounters with various sea creatures while snorkeling.

Abstract

Wendi Gordon's profound connection with the ocean began in her childhood and blossomed into a lifelong passion. Her experiences snorkeling in locations like Grand Cayman, Fiji, Hawaii, and the Bahamas have led to incredible underwater encounters, including sightings of tropical fish, turtles, dolphins, and rays. These experiences were so impactful that they inspired her and her husband to sell their home and move to Maui. Gordon emphasizes the importance of respecting marine life, particularly corals, and encourages others to explore the undersea world through snorkeling, diving, or visiting aquariums.

Opinions

The author has a deep love for the ocean, considering it the most beautiful environment and a source of great joy.
She believes that the true beauty of the ocean is best experienced up close through activities like snorkeling.
The diversity and colorfulness of marine animals, such as tropical fish and sea turtles, have left a lasting impression on her.
She expresses a spiritual connection with sea turtles, which moved her to get a sea turtle tattoo.
The author values ethical considerations in wildlife interactions, acknowledging concerns about attractions like Stingray City.
She is an advocate for ocean conservation, advising snorkelers not to touch or stand on corals.
She suggests that experiencing the undersea world can be life-changing and recommends it as a vacation activity.
For those unable to visit the ocean, she recommends aquariums as an alternative way to appreciate marine life.

The Undersea World Is An Unbelievably Beautiful Place

Amazing photos of marine animals I’ve seen while snorkeling

No other environment is as beautiful or brings me as much joy as the ocean does. My love of it began in childhood when I discovered how much fun it was to play in the waves. Sometimes I enjoyed floating over them in a blissfully relaxed state. When bigger waves approached, I enjoyed riding them back to shallower water.

I also loved to take long walks on the beach with my feet in the ocean or sit on the sand and watch the waves roll in.

My discovery of the undersea world

It was not until I was an adult that I experienced the ocean’s true beauty, though. My husband and I went snorkeling during our honeymoon on Grand Cayman in 1991 and were enchanted by the undersea world we encountered there.

We had no idea so many animals in such a wonderful variety of colors, shapes, and sizes lived in the ocean!

In the years since then, we’ve been snorkeling as often as possible. Most of our vacations have been to beach destinations like Fiji, Hawaii, and the Bahamas.

Photo credit: Wendi Gordon. My husband and I exploring the undersea beauty that surrounds Maui.

Our vacation to Hawaii in 2001, and the marine life we saw there, were so wonderful that when we returned home to Pennsylvania we sold our house, quit our jobs, and moved to Maui! You can read more about that decision and the ten years we lived on Maui here.

Marine animals I’ve seen while snorkeling

Words cannot adequately describe the unbelievable beauty and diversity of the marine animals I have seen while snorkeling in the ocean. I have had some incredible underwater encounters over the years.

I don’t have photos of every memorable experience. One time I saw two octopuses mating; on another occasion, a humpback whale swam underneath me. I’ve also seen a few reef sharks (most shark species pose no danger to humans; I deliberately swam toward them hoping to get a good photo).

Below are a few of my favorite undersea creatures I did manage to photograph while snorkeling.

Tropical fish

If I could breathe underwater like this adorable pufferfish, I would make the ocean my permanent home.

I saw corals (which are living animals, so please try not to touch or stand on them when you’re in the ocean) and beautiful tropical fish every time I snorkeled. I never tired of seeing them.

This website has great photos and descriptions of 12 of the many varieties of colorful fish I spotted while snorkeling off the coast of Maui. Hawaii’s official state fish, the reef triggerfish (Hawaiian name: Humuhumunukunukuapuaa), is one of them.

Turtles

Other than corals and fish, the marine animals I encountered most often were sea turtles. I loved watching them munch on the algae, then glide past me as they surfaced to breathe or dove down to rest on the ocean’s sandy bottom.

Sometimes the turtles got so close to me that I had to back away to avoid colliding with them. I experienced a spiritual connection I can’t explain whenever I made eye contact with a sea turtle.

That spiritual connection inspired me to get my first and only tattoo. The outline of a sea turtle in black ink near my ankle provides a daily reminder of the joy and peace I felt every time I was in the ocean and got to swim near one.

Dolphins

It was always a delightful surprise when dolphins appeared. On rare occasions, I encountered them while snorkeling and was able to watch them play underwater.

Most wild dolphins swim away when humans approach, but one day I came upon a group that didn’t seem to mind my presence. I was amazed I could get close enough to take the photo below.

Rays

In addition to the spotted eagle ray pictured in the title image, I have also been in the ocean with a manta ray and stingrays. They are beautiful creatures, and I enjoyed watching them.

While stingrays can sting humans (usually when humans accidentally step on their tails), they are normally docile animals. That is why I was not afraid to hold one at “Stingray City,” a shallow sandbar in the ocean near Grand Cayman where wild stingrays regularly gather to be fed by humans.

Stingray City is an enormously popular tourist attraction, and some people question whether it is ethical for humans to handle and feed wild animals. I understand their concerns but am still grateful I was able to have that experience.

Photo credit: Steve Brauner (author Wendi Gordon’s husband).

I would encourage anyone to discover the beauty of the undersea world by snorkeling or diving. Plan a vacation to a beach destination known for having exceptionally clear water and healthy coral reefs and prepare to be amazed!

I realize that is not possible for everyone, though. If you cannot or do not want to immerse yourself in the ocean and swim near marine animals, visit an aquarium instead. You can experience the beauty and diversity of the undersea world without ever getting wet or traveling to a coastal area!

Atlanta, Georgia, and Knoxville, Tennessee are two cities in the United States that are nowhere near the ocean but have wonderful aquariums.

However you choose to encounter the undersea world, you will discover an unbelievably beautiful place with unique animals that can’t be seen anywhere else.

If you enjoyed this article and want to read more about my ocean adventures, go here.

Thanks to Dr. Preeti Singh and her article about the sea for the prompt to write about its wonders.

I also appreciated this short story and stunning sunrise photo by Elder Taoist.