Perspective 1: Snorkeling In Belize!

 



Nature is truly one of the most beautiful things in the world. This past week, I’ve learned so much about different natural elements, cultures, and experiences. One of the most memorable days from my trip to Belize was when a group of us went snorkeling at Laughing Bird Caye. It was honestly magical.

It took about a 45-minute boat ride from the mainland to get there, and even the journey itself was beautiful. We passed several small islands, and the views were unreal. Once we started snorkeling, we saw things I had never experienced before. To preface, Belize is known as one of the best snorkeling spots in the world, and now I understand why.

We saw two lemonhead sharks, barracudas, and glowing fish with bright yellow and deep blue pigments. There were also groupers with vibrant colors that almost didn’t look real. One of the coolest things we got to do was hold sea cucumbers, which are these squishy echinoderms similar to sea urchins. I also learned that they are commonly eaten in East Asian cultures, which I thought was a really interesting fact. The coral itself looked almost fake because it was so colorful and perfectly structured.

Another highlight was seeing conch shells up close. They had this bright pink interior, and we learned that the deeper pink the inside is, the more likely it is to contain pearls.

After snorkeling on the southern side of the island, we went back to shore for lunch. We had fresh juice, potato salad, rice and beans, jerk chicken, cookies, and watermelon. Everything was incredible. Belizean food is rich in protein, full of spices, and completely unprocessed. It honestly made me reflect on how different, and often worse, our food system is in America.

Later, we went to the northern side of the island, where the water was deeper and much more wavy. It was a blast navigating through the waves and coral. We saw even more barracudas, larger fish, and huge schools of colorful fish. Then came the craziest moment of the day. I was snorkeling with our group of seven when my friend Ryan Mandel started screaming underwater. I popped up, and he told me to come over with no explanation. I swam over, took a dive about 10 feet down, and saw a 13-foot bull shark swimming horizontally right next to me.

I was completely mesmerized by how beautiful it was, but at the same time, I was definitely terrified. We calmly swam back, glancing behind us every 20 strokes or so. That moment completely changed my perspective. It made me realize how docile and non-aggressive sharks actually are. If we treat nature with respect and admiration, it will do the same for us.

This was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life, and it only deepened my love for nature.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fort Worth's 48 hours of Snowfall: Admiring Nature's Unexpected

Image
It’s always so cool to see Mother Nature bring out weather that’s not usually common in a certain place. I have to say, this year’s snowfall in Texas was, yes, chaotic, but also seemingly beautiful. I remember it was Friday night, and I was working my shift as a server at Grimaldi’s. It was quite something to see the city of Fort Worth quiet for a night, with no sound except for nature’s beauty and the anticipation of what was going to happen next. I started to see the skies darken, and that gray aura began to form all around. Although it was a bit scary, seeing nature’s capabilities made me appreciate the weather. The official snowfall began around 12:00 a.m. I started to see the paper-white flurries fall over the glistening midnight sky, with the moon shining ever so beautifully in the corner. I went outside, breathed in the fresh, ice-cold air, and sat in silence and watched. Shortly after, the lights turned on, people stepped onto their porches and balconies, and began to do the sa...
Read more

A Beautiful Day: Walking in Faith, Breathing in Spring

Image
  Wednesday, February 18th, was such a beautiful day. The sun was glistening, the sky was clear and blue, and the weather was about 80 degrees. It was the perfect day. After our Finance class, Tommy and I went to get our ashes for Ash Wednesday and then decided to walk by the stadium to observe the greenery and nature around TCU. We walked for a while, having meaningful conversations. As we approached the front of Amon G. Carter Stadium, we noticed how clean, calm, and quiet everything was. The grass was perfectly leveled, the trees were waving in the light breeze, and everything seemed still and at peace. As we continued walking toward the BLUU, we noticed that fresh flowers had been planted all around the area, and they smelled magnificent. The scent was like a mix of eucalyptus, lavender, sweet perfume, and clean laundry. The colors of the plants were vibrant shades of purple, including indigo and lavender, along with yellow blooms with black patterns, and hints of red and white...
Read more

First Class Reflection - My Brief Walk Outside

The first day of class in Texts and Treks is in the books! I am really excited for this honors class. Not only are some of my close friends in this class, but I have the opportunity to take something that I am passionate about: nature and the beauty of this world. I am excited for the overall plans of this course and the adventure that is to come! I have been brainstorming all of my journals and when I will do what, and what pictures will I add, and I am super excited.  After class, I did my brief walk outside. This time, I decided to isolate and consider the external environment I was around in a deeper way. As I was walking home, the sun was glistening on my face and the sky was crystal clear blue. I breathed in the fresh air as I was walking through campus.  Then, immediately, that went away as I walked through the major construction behind Neeley. Loud noises, pollution everywhere, dust particles in the air, and concrete cement covering up what once was beautiful bright gr...
Read more