We were very close to the place where we were told we could swim in the presence of Dolphins. From afar, in water more blue than any ocean I’d seen, I witnessed a dolphin leap high into the sultry air of mid July. From her shiny grey topside and whiter under belly fly water droplets, cascading down, bejewelled in the light.

The water was uncommonly clear, so much so that it was impossible to gauge its depth. The rocks below could be ten feet down or forty; one depth was dive-able and the other was not. I could see the lingering fear on my companion’s faces. Would there be sharks, stingrays, and water snakes even? Who knew? We didn’t have much time to contemplate on the idea of the dangers within, before we were ordered to dive in.

I can tell you this much. I knew there would be no sharks at this time of the day. I was aware that they stayed in the deeper ends of the ocean where the waters are pitch black until sunset, and that’s when they surfaced. How I knew this, don’t ask. I truly don’t know.

I find myself in the midst of a crystal clear turquoise ocean. Floating in the void, free of gravity. The ocean was something I admired and respected. You see, I understood its beauty and it’s dangers. I found true fascination by the way the waves softly crashed against the rocky beach, their curling fingers brushing each stone with a gentle caress as the wind ushered them gently towards the shore. The way the sun shone off the rippling water, its golden light warped in the twisted, glass waves. No description can truly capture its mysterious majesty, yet only a few words can express its beauty. The ocean is so wonderful and deadly that it pulls me in deep!

I dipped my head in, no longer afraid. I am instantly welcomed into a world filled with the most breathtaking views. I see baby sea turtles swimming aimlessly around, smiling and waving at me. From the corner of my eyes, I see 40 dolphins swimming towards me. They’re majestic in all their glory. I hear them converse in high-pitched wavelengths of sound and I’m in complete awe. One in particular catches my eye. A baby makes her way through the waters she has known all her life, gliding happily with the family she loves so dearly, fiercely protected by her mother. I felt tears threaten to fall behind my goggles- not from sadness, but from recognizing compassion.

Different colors bounce off different directions from corals like a sun catcher refracting white light! I am in awe of what lies beneath the surface and how marine life comes in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors, and lives in all kinds of different environments, adapting to them perfectly. I could be here forever. I’ll always need air and sunlight, but there was a reason I was sent here. I needed to learn. Dolphins are incredibly self aware beings that deserve greater recognition and compassion. They speak to us in the rhythm of our emotions; breathing in joy, before plunging into the depths, and rushing back up to the surface to do it all over again. I am surrounded by extreme beauty and a deep realization sets within me. I know a place where the world is still; where time and space have no hold and where my heart and soul are one. I’m at peace here and my body is numbed to all pain and thought. My eyes open to the light streaming through above and I know I’ve broken gravity’s chain. As precious seconds turn to minutes, I know I must leave for I am afraid of my lungs shattering like glass.

I don’t know how to save the world. I don’t have the answers. I hold no secret knowledge as to how to fix the mistakes of generations past and present. I only know, without compassion and respect for all of earths inhabitants, none of us will survive- nor will we deserve to.