I still remember how I felt the first time I saw the Caribbean ocean. I had no idea that color could occur naturally in the world. It is so alive and vibrant, it hums with energy.
I remember staring out at the ocean that first time and might never have looked away… until I heard a rustling at my feet and looked down. Even the lizards are a brilliant blue!
But even all this was nothing compared to the first time I put my face in the water. I was standing near shore in knee deep water and trying to put on my new snorkel mask. I bent over to submerge my face and test the seal.
Just inches away from my face were four or five of the most astonishingly beautiful fish I had ever seen. I gasped and immediately choked on seawater. This picture above was taken later though. I was too busy choking on seawater to take a picture just then.
From that point on, I simple couldn’t get enough. Every morning we would head out to snorkel and take pictures of fish. I wanted to learn about every single one of them.
Erica Lauer Vose 