Feeling a bit nostalgic about diving

I went diving in Corsica, off the south of France, for the first and only time close to 10 years ago now. I managed to get my open-water license to 30 meters if I remember correctly; I'll have to search for my card to verify. I remember I freaked out the first time I jumped off the boat in my scuba gear--mask, tank, mouthpiece and all--because I didn't realize that I could breathe underwater. There were no pools to hold beginner classes, so we went straight to the ocean with no practice.

I felt embarrassed as I begged to swim back to the boat gasping for breath. I can't think of another moment in my life where I actually thought death was a huge likelihood if I'd been forced to continue. Luckily, in my opinion now, my instructor firmly urged me to go on and, as it turned out, it was one of the best experiences of my life.

I would love to dive again, perhaps in other parts of the world with more abundant sea life, then head back to Corsica one day, where it all started for me. I don't think of the ocean as much these days though stories and video clips like the one above always catch my attention. Someday, I would like to film my own diving footage, and I hope it will be of a colorful variety of marine life--fish, turtles, corals and all--and none of this bleaching nonsense that's sure to continue if we as a planet don't get our act together.