| When setting out for the wilderness or a distant | | | | the surface. |
| journey, we're inclined to have preconceptions of | | | | There, below me, were the dolphins. I kicked down |
| what our great adventures will be. Often, though, it is | | | | as hard as I could in a desperate bid to reach them |
| the peripheral events - things not necessarily tied to | | | | but I was too late. I'd seen them, sure, but hadn't |
| our objectives, which define our greatest of great | | | | come within 20 feet of them. But as I stared in the |
| adventures. | | | | direction the beautiful creatures had gone, I noticed |
| One such event springs immediately to mind for me. | | | | two shadows coming back towards me. Before long, |
| In the mid 1990s, my buddy and I set off on a drive | | | | two became six. Six became ten, then more! The |
| to the Florida Keys with dreams of coral reef and | | | | next thing I knew, a wall of smiling, bottle-nosed |
| tropical fish. It was a dive adventure we'd been | | | | faces was before me. |
| planning all year and just about all we could talk about | | | | The first two which had turned to investigate |
| in the months leading up to the trip. The scuba diving | | | | approached closer still. No more than 8 feet from me, |
| lived up to our expectations and we had a great time | | | | they paused and I felt my body assaulted by clicks |
| full of amazing dives during the day and an equally | | | | and thumps. It was an astounding sensation, felt as |
| rich nightlife. | | | | much as heard, and I realized I was grinning from ear |
| As our trip wound to a close, we headed out on our | | | | to ear. |
| last dive of the vacation, a two-parter that included | | | | Satisfied with their investigation, the dolphins turned |
| more amazing reefs and a fantastic wreck dive. | | | | and continued in the direction they'd been heading. |
| Everything had been as it should be and we hauled | | | | The brave pair looked back one last time as if to ask |
| ourselves back on to the boat, tired, thirsty and very | | | | if I was coming with them. Then, one after another, |
| much satisfied. But it was on the boat ride back that | | | | they all dissolved into vaguely dolphin shaped |
| the defining moment of the trip occurred for me. | | | | shadows before they and their chirps and clicks |
| "Dolphins!" cried the captain, and all heads turned to | | | | disappeared entirely. I was left floating in a vast deep |
| look. Captain John steered the boat in the direction | | | | blue with only the memory of the event and the |
| of the pod, easily a dozen sleek grey forms slipping | | | | sudden dawning realization that I wanted - very |
| above and below the surface, and turned to advise | | | | much needed - to breathe. |
| us, "anybody wants to dive in you've got one shot | | | | I looked up to see what I was up against and |
| at this. No time for tanks, just fins and masks." | | | | became a bit desperate. I could barely make out the |
| Despite our fatigue, four of us took him up on the | | | | fins of those who had followed me floating some 60 |
| chance, scrambling for fins, masks and snorkels | | | | or more feet away at the surface. I kicked with all I |
| before leaping overboard. Others watched our | | | | had and made a drive for the sun and air above. |
| desperate efforts and before I cleared the deck and | | | | That I'm still around to write this tells you I made it, |
| felt the warm Florida water wash over me again I | | | | but it was close. I was hauled aboard the boat and |
| heard one woman proclaim, "they'll never reach them | | | | surrounded by envious faces and excited voices all |
| in time." | | | | wanting to know what I'd experienced. I shared the |
| She was probably right, I thought. Captain John had | | | | story as best I could but realized that no words |
| done his best to position the boat for an intercept | | | | would ever capture the moment in which I felt |
| but the animals were turning slightly to go around us. | | | | measured, accepted and invited as a member of an |
| None of us were ready to give up, though, and we | | | | alien species in an alien world. |
| swam for all we were worth to put ourselves in the | | | | Everything else I experienced on this trip, the |
| path of the approaching animals. | | | | amazing scuba diving, the great food and drinks, the |
| I found I'd slipped ahead of my fellow swimmers. I | | | | relaxed flirtation with women over drinks, even the |
| could hear their voices and splashing falling behind. | | | | near fatal car wreck on the way home which we |
| Before long, I'd positioned myself as best I could but, | | | | miraculously escaped without a scratch - all of it just |
| to my dismay, those grey forms were no longer at | | | | pales to that one brief moment which I'd not planned |
| the surface. I took 4 quick, deep breaths, trying to | | | | for or expected. |
| hyper-oxygenate my blood, and then dove beneath | | | | |