The last time I went for the swimming was when I had to cross 100 meters to pass the physical exam as a part of graduation requirement in high school. I knew how to swim, but I’ve been avoiding tuning up my skill, ending up being second to the last who finished that exam. It’s been 3 years since then, I didn’t realize I would be under the ocean until I actually went out. What was I thinking of doing in the middle of the Atlantic?
Despite trying it out for the first time, the snorkeling experience was not bad. Not bad at all. Because of the salt concentration in the sea water, and because I was not used to hold breath and exhale with snorkels attached, I found quite difficult to dive deep. The only thing I could do essentially was to become buoy and to float at the sea level, keep looking down at the ocean floor and coral reef. But I didn’t blame myself for inability in swimming — that was well enough for me enjoying offshore Bermuda.
What I was amazed at first was the underwater visibility. Not only you can see through the beautiful, white ocean floor (which explains why Bermuda shores look so emerald green), you’d notice fishes approach by from distant. I suppose the water visibility exceeds far more than 100 feet. It’s kind of an intriguing moment when I had some chances swimming with fishes; I felt like I became part of an aquarium exhibition.
Their appearance, their style, the environment they swim, all of the components made the fishes look so elegant. I can name some of them I recognized: Sergeant Major, Blue Angel Fish, Parrot Fish, Blue Head Wrasse, Lionfish, etc. Lionfish was quite a difficult one that I didn’t really find it. Instead Matt found Lionfish hiding behind the corals, and our guide speared it through. Good catch.
Swimming ocean in the middle of January does not sound a wise decision, but Bermuda would be an exception. Water temperature here hits around 65 °F, which Bermudians would argue, “it’s too cold,” but for college students in upper New England it sounds like a heaven. You may have heard some nervous rumors about how planes and ships disappear in the certain region of the ocean; for those who expected me to be missing in the Bermuda Triangle, I’m here to tell you. Too bad. I survived.