The Sea My family took a vacation the summer before sixth grade. We were in Maui, Hawaii to be exact, it was paradise. We walked to the beach from my family’s cabin everyday. As I looked around, the white sand felt scalding and the water was warm. The shore was filled with coral rocks, crashing waves and laughing children playing with the warm, wet sand. The water rose and fell, each time dissolving a sand castle into mud and making a child scream and run playfully from the water.
I immediately became excited, excited to see the coral fish and excited to feel warm, blue waves pass over my body. I ran to the beach, tripping over my own enthusiasm. With snorkel and goggles in hand, I dove into an incoming wave. Seconds later I surfaced, head first, with my mask on. I put on my snorkel, attached it to my mask and adjusted for a comfortable fit. Meanwhile, I felt the soft sleek rubbing of fish against my calves, as I was already waist deep in water. As soon as I was ready, I swam out further to explore the colorful reef.
Further and further I swam, not realizing how far out I was. The water became colder and colder. I stopped turned and my heart sank, I was really far out. It all hit me at once; the coldness of the water, the draining sound of children and the deepness of the sea. I became frightened and in my mind thoughts punctured my brain, “ What about sharks, and jellyfish? ”. My heart was racing now. I dipped my head under the water slowly, frightened that I would see something horrible. First I looked in front of me, away from the beach and towards the open sea.
The Essay on Barrier Erosion Sand Wave Waves
The Erosion of Long Island's Barrier Beaches The barrier beaches, which line the south shore of Long Island are in a constant state of change due to factor's such as wind, tides and wave action. "The term ‘ barrier' identifies one that protects other features, such as lagoons, salt marshes, and bays from direct attack from the open ocean' (Leatherman 1). The pebbles and sand of which these ...
I saw nothing, absolutely nothing. This was not a good sign though because this kind of nothing was a pitch black nothing, extremely ominous. I looked behind me under the water and saw the faint glow of the beach, the beautiful lively beach. It cheered me up, for only a second though. Now I felt as if I was vulnerable to something ominous. I then looked down and saw what I was fearing. A sea turtle with a shell six feet wide and six feet long. The turtle looked as if it was as big as a twin sized bed and was only inches from my toes.
I repelled, almost instantly, and thrashingly swam away as fast as I could. When I looked back, I was a few feet away but the bad gut feeling and adrenaline diminished and was replaced by tranquility. The sea turtle moved as if it was in slow motion. I stared in awe as this massive creature slowly swam past me and away, fading into the open sea. As I swam back to civilization, I was fastened into my thoughts. My fear, originating from negligence, gave me this notion that the open sea should be feared.
Its vastness and mysterious creatures made me fearful and hesitant. But why do we fear it? Because the sea is majorly unexplored? Because of the stories we hear about sharks and jellyfish, or legends like “The Kraken”? All this is made up by people who are close-minded and obdurate. We shun the sea and pollute it, we tell tall tales of monsters who inhabit it. When actually, the sea is tranquil, it is vast, and massive. Like a turtle, passively and sluggishly, trying to make its way through life.
