Sophia Uribe, Depth at Catalina (Pimu) Island Scuba with Reef Check
/This week-long process was a great challenge and very fulfilling. We prepared before through the scuba e-learning but little did we know about what true beauty was gonna come out of being underwater. The first two days were HARD! Learning a brand new skill can be very intimidating and overwhelming, so much self-doubt and criticism floods the mind when we exit our comfort zone. Carrying those extra 80 lbs of gear up and down the stairs, being nervous about my ears equalizing, swallowing so much saltwater struggling to put on my fins or to stay afloat - these were all just a taste of what we experienced. By the third day, there was such a smooth, fluid movement within our practice and skill demonstration as a group, it was amazing to feel that moment of progress and accomplishment with the group.
There were even moments of immense emotion, on day 3 during our last open water dive before becoming scuba certified, my right ear couldn't equalize past 10 feet. My buddy Josh and I, along with Scuba Steve tried about 5-6 times to descend but my ear was not cooperating. I was getting so angry and frustrated with my body not allowing me to finish this last portion of the training. I felt even worse because not only was my ear holding me back, it was also holding back Josh from getting this final dive done. Even though I struggled with this and got very overwhelmed with negative emotions, it was awesome to have such a reliable, positive support system from Josh and our instructors. We swam back to shore and watched the rest of the group ascend and accomplish their certification. Barbara got the update on what happened and took us back into the water but suggested that we descend from shore, so I covered in tears and boogers, I cleared my system, put my mask back on, and was able to descend down to the 25 ft need for our last open water dive. This is probably one of the most special dives because it was just the three of us and barbara took us to into the reef, where we were swimming through and were surrounded 360 degrees by a reef - by an abundance of life.
The other emotional moment was when we circled up on the ocean floor, under the full moon, and turned off our flashlights. There was magic and energy work flowing between the movement and momentum we created with our hands from the bioluminescent phytoplankton! At that moment, Josh tapped me and told me to look up and what we saw felt like it was in slow-mo. Just basking in the moonlight glistening over the open ocean - pure magic! That was a moment of the immense rush of emotions when you feel that connection between time, I felt the energy of my ancestors from the moonlight interconnect with the accomplishment of being able to experience the phytoplankton in the way that we did - I was screaming underwater with just pure joy.
Lastly, what surprised me the most was how interactive the creatures underwater were. During the night dive we saw tons of lobster and horn sharks, they were simply there observing our group and totally chill with us being near them. Even during the shipwreck dive, I had a school of fish surround me while exploring the ship - so amazing to be so welcomed into their environment.
Sophia Paddling at Sunrise provides an extra Special Moment. Photo: John Suhar
The most amazing thing for me was just fully immersing myself in the energy of the ocean. Wake up before sunrise each day to bask in the beauty of watching the sunrise over the ocean, starting my morning in reflection. And continuing our day of learning, activity, and new experiences. Being underwater, without speech, continual proctoring of our wellbeing and safety, and understanding the essence of the underwater world was a very impactful experience.
Being on the island with such a deep-rooted community was amazing, I learned so much from all the stories, songs, and sharing of experiences.
On the last day before the boat arrived, I gave myself time to sit in the place that we learned our scuba skills. I was accompanied by a crane that I've been seeing throughout the week, moments like these - being in nature with an animal - I truly feel my dad's presence very strong. This was a great moment of reflection, intention setting, and gratitude for being blessed with such an amazing week surrounded by phenomenal people and life-changing experiences.
This experience is one I’ve been praying for and it came in perfect timing. I’ve been wanting to get scuba certified for the last 4 years and I’ve recently been diving more into the knowledge of my roots so to have the balance of scuba education and cultural education was phenomenal. With my aspirations of going into the field of biomimicry, I truly believe it's gonna start in the ocean. There is so much to learn from the ocean, down to the cellular level and I feel that this scuba certification is just the beginning of me exploring that world to further my passions, aspirations, and goals! I plan on continuing my certifications with Malibu Divers to eventually become scientific research diving certified. But with that, I want to balance the cultural aspect of it as well because that can further the teachings the oceans and water have to offer. Being able to utilize the scientific aspects for innovation and design, as well as, the traditional practices and understanding of how to interact with the ocean and all that it has to offer.
