Under the Sea

“So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds..... And God saw that it was good.”*

**

I am so thankful for the invention of SCUBA equipment! It has enabled me, and many others, to explore a part of this planet the extent of which we have only begun to investigate.

The last time I went exploring below sea level, we saw a few Port Jackson Sharks! They were beautiful and quite docile, but it was still exciting to be so close to a wild animal!

There are three things I love about the ocean (and SCUBA diving especially); the feeling of freedom, the beauty of the ocean, and the responsibility to care for it.

Freedom: When one goes for a dive, you need to take a few things with you: weights to keep you below the ocean and air to ensure you don’t land on the bottom. When done properly, you can glide effortlessly. Soaring over rocks, around seaweed, into a school of fish, beside a Port Jackson shark... it’s just thrilling! And liberating! And playful! And reminds me of The Little Mermaid song ‘Under the Sea’:

...Under the sea
Under the sea
Darling it's better
Down where it's wetter
Take it from me
Up on the shore they work all day
Out in the sun they slave away
While we devotin'
Full time to floatin'
Under the sea....***

Beauty: The more I see of the world the more I am in awe of its complexity and many elements, yet simplicity and effectiveness. The Port Jackson sharks that we saw were so intricate and detailed, strong and striking, perfect for their environment. After the dive, as we told what we each saw, it was interesting to hear how different our experiences had been, despite going together. One said he saw 12 Port Jacksons, I thought it was more like 6-7, another thought it was around 4-5! Nevertheless, we all agreed that it was an awesome experience and that they were beautiful. I get really excited seeing a wild animal up close!!

Responsibility: I feel a great responsibility to care for the ocean. Maybe it is because I have spent the last 9 years of my life near it, but I also think it comes back to an age old duty handed down from Adam and Eve, given to them by God, to “Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”**** Since my first dive I have been picking up broken glass, empty cans, fishing hooks, plastic bags... it’s my little bit to clean a tiny part of ocean floor. Some may think it is pointless (hehe, sharps) to go to such effort picking up alien objects in the sea, but as a human I have an opportunity and responsibility to care for the environment I find myself in, or go exploring in.

Basically, I am thankful that God made all the amazing creatures of the sea; they are beautiful, precious... and good!

*Genesis 1:21

** photo taken near Bear Island, Sydney by my father, 2.10,12

***first chorus of Under the Sea, by The Little Mermaid

****Genesis 1:28