Snorkeling Induced Anxiety

Today was Labor Day in the Philippines, which equals no school! (I've come to believe that the Philippines probably has more holidays than any other country in the world!) So, we joined another fun family for an outing at the beach. It was a beautiful day when we arrived at the beach resort, and we decided to take a bunka boat (shown in the picture) across the way to a small island, known as Camera Island (also shown in the picture, along with the Capones Island). The ride was smooth, the water was gorgeous & the island was nice & quiet. Unfortunately, we didn't bring a snorkeling mask or any gear, but luckily our friends did. After they both swam far out to view the exotic sea creatures below, they swam back & offered their goggles for me to use. Sam put on Sydney's kid sized goggles (not the look for him!), I borrowed our friend's goggles & we swam out pretty far ourselves. However, I did not have an actual snorkel to use... only the goggles. So, between swimming against the ocean current to get out far enough, coming up for air every now & again & swallowing some nasty salt water, I started to panic a bit. I kept looking back at the island which was getting further & further away & that also made me nervous. In turn, as my heart started racing, my breath got shorter & shorter. So, my time enjoying the fascinating sea life was shortened by the constant need to come up for air every second, it seemed. The first time I snorkeled, I freaked out a bit as well because I couldn't get enough air into my lungs. Sam finally advised me to take steady, shallower breaths instead of deep breaths. I practiced for a while in shallow water & finally got the hang of it. This time, however, I was too far gone to stand anywhere. And, even if I could have stood, I was not wearing any flippers so my feet would have been completely exposed to the sea floor. Not a good idea when you don't know what's down there... sea urchins come to mind. (I did see a dried one on the shore, so I know they are definitely out there!) Anyway, we got out quite a ways & decided to just hang out at that spot instead of swimming out any further. Sam, who was absolutely fine, kept diving down to explore a little more closely. I, on the other hand, floated on my back as much as I could in an attempt to slow my heart & control my breathing. When I did feel a little more normal, I joined Sam and explored a bit as well. The water felt great & the coral was breathtaking. The fish were still rather small, because apparently, this area had been previously used by the military for target practice... bombs & such. They killed off all the beautiful fish & plants underwater. Only recently have the fish begun to return to these waters. Maybe by the time we leave, they will be large & plentiful!

We both swam back to the shore & unanimously decided on two things:
1. That we will add swimming to our exercise routine from now on. We were completely out of breath after that excursion.
2. That we will invest in a good snorkeling mask & gear for each of us. This opportunity is just too rare to pass up! We have got to take advantage of the awesome snorkeling that is so easily accessible to us.

I also decided that we need to splurge on an underwater camera. I have kicked myself twice now for not getting amazing photos of what we are seeing under the water. Any recommendations?

We would love for you to come visit! I know you would love the beauty of the Philippines also!