Ineffable. That’s how, Dennis Furlong, one of the divers on our recent trip to Grand Cayman described the adventure saying, in effect, the experience defies description. So, why bother writing a blog when words fail?
Caribbean Reef Shark / Carcharhinus perezii
In my gallery trailer hangs a small, wooden sign that reads: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, rather by the moments that take our breath away,” in other words, by the experiences that transcend our ability to describe them in words. Jon Gailmor, a friend and famed Vermont folk singer put it this way, “It’s not the breadth, but the depth of life that matters.” An apt adage given the portfolio in this blog.
Eye of the Ray / Dasyatis americana
To me, an atheist, these ineffable experiences provide that numinous dimension that give my life its depth. The experiences come in many forms, some obvious, some subtle: from watching my dog chase fish in the stream to diving on coral reefs to having a scotch with a dear friend or simply running errands with my wife. The subtle ones, like fishing with my dad when I was a kid, I too often took for granted; what I wouldn’t give to go fishing with my father again! If only he could see the fish that didn’t get away – from my camera!
Foureye Butterfly Fish / Chaetodon capistratus
That we may be somewhat phlegmatic about our everyday experiences rather than cherish them as if they were our first kiss, is only human. No apologies necessary. But, years from now, history may hold us accountable for taking for granted some of the most profound experiences we, as Earthlings, are privileged to enjoy – to the point that one day in the not too distant future, we’ll deprive ourselves of them altogether.
Longspine Squirrelfish / Holocentrus rufus
The next time you have a cloudless night during a new moon, step outside and look up. What to do you see? Any stars? Planets? The Milky Way? Light pollution deprives us of the cosmos. We read about the universe and watch programs about space on television, but most of us can’t experience the heavens for ourselves. I remember waiting for the sunrise at Mesa Arch with my dear friend, Eliot, in Canyonlands National Park. It was early morning, still dark. At 6000 feet above sea level the Milky Way was as real as the cold air, the pines, the gritty sliprock under out feet. It gave me a breathtaking, existential paradigm of my own existence. This, from just looking up!
Red Lionfish / Pterois volitans
Oceanographers estimate that, if we do nothing to ameliorate climate change, within fifty years acidification, sea level rise, and terrestrial runoff from adjacent coastlines (brought about by the encroaching sea and concomitant flooding) will destroy all of Earth’s coral reefs! As I write this, 61% of the Great Barrier Reef is suffering from a severe bleaching event, and less than 10% of Madagascar’s unique rainforest with its endemic species remains intact. Do we really want our children and grand children to inherit an Earth devoid of coral reefs and rain forests, the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet?
Great Barracuda / Sphyraena barracuda
My parents taught me to swim. When I could swim, they gave me a mask, snorkel, and fins. Then they gave me a microscope, and then a telescope. (My father was a factory worker, so none of these items were top shelf, but they were enough to arouse my curiosity and inspire me to explore the natural world.) I will be forever grateful to them for giving me the tools with which I can experience the ineffable wonders of Earth. What are we, in turn, bequeathing to future generations?
Atlantic Hawksbill with Remora / Eretmochelys imbricata, Remora remora
With much gratitude and respect to the staff and fellow divers from Waterfront Dive Center in Burlington, VT and the staff and crew at Ocean Frontiers, Grand Cayman.
