The ocean is something that has been a staple in my life since I was a little girl. I was out swimming with dolphins in Hawaii when I was 5 years old; I was surfing in the freezing waters of New Zealand when I was 12; and now that i’m almost 20, I crave the adventures that lye beneath the surface.

Diving with sharks was truly an experience like no other.

To see these animals up close that I’ve only ever seen in an aquarium, or during “Shark Week”, was nerve wracking.

I could feel myself holding my breath as their tails slid right across my body.

Being this far below the surface, you have no sense of time, space, or direction. You’re simply floating in a never-ending blue abyss.

You can look up and see the surface of the water, however, what looks like 15 feet, is over 30 feet. When you look around, you realize how truly deceiving the water is. Seeing the sharks swim closer and closer, moving from a little speck in the distance, to a nine-foot creature right in your face.

Just like most people, my initial instinct was fear.

I saw the sharp teeth and eerie eyes, and how they moved so menacingly.

As time passed, I saw how truly beautiful they were.

I expected their skin to feel soft and slimy like a dolphin, yet when I touched it, it felt like wet sandpaper. What I first saw as menacing, became a sight of purely majestic movement.

I wasn’t scared to touch them anymore, or move them away from me.

With the two 45-minute dives I did this day, I learned so much.

My point of view on sharks completely changed, and I was able to feel their energy as they passed along side me.

This image I had in my head of the monstrous animals they were, switched to a respect for them, and a desire to learn more about them.

OVER TO YOU

It’s our mission to inspire action that nurtures the human spirit with newer & richer experiences. As our name suggests (like a trumpet in the library), EXPLORINGNOTBORING is a call to action for more living, less boring. Our goal is to help you create and share rich, memorable experiences, more often.

We hope you enjoyed learning about Bethany’s first shark diving experience. May her story inspire you to follow your curiosity to new depths.

P.S. Follow Bethany on Instagram @bfitness12 for powerlifting inspo 💪

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