It was crystal clear, nothing but white sand and faint blues with bolts of silver sunlight coming down from 110 feet above while I search for shell trails.
I started feeling giddy, an odd taste, my bubbles sounded like they had echo’s, Blunk …. Bluuunk and for some insane reason I wanted to rip out my air supply.
I was having a underwater narcosis panic attack, I had been down too deep too long. The fear was overwhelming, pure panic demanding me to pull off my face mask. I was heavily weighted with no chance of survival this deep. It was all happening so fast.
My training taught me not to panic and never rip out your breathing apparatus unless you are saving your dive buddy. Well I was alone. Yep, I know.
With hands of steel I smashed my mask tight to my face. I remembered somehow that I had to come up real slow, so I didn’t “pop”, but the panic wanted me to kick like hell.
Out of nowhere a spinner dolphin shows up close enough to kiss, then circles me once, twice and again. Then another two join in and circle me again and again as I slowly drifted up watching and breathing in fascination.
They totally calmed me, I had no panic just a feeling of peace as I floated to the sky.
When I broke the surface, I grasps as their dorsal fins dipped out of sight and the sound of slapping water was drowned out by a lady screaming from a Captain Zodiac boat. “Dolphin, dolphin – did you see the dolphins?” She was excited….and I was alive.
The surprised captain gave me “the look”, all I cared about was thanking my three finned buddies that I will never forget.
Happy Hump Day!