KIDS CORNER
MY DIVING EXPERIENCE BY VICTOR JAVIER STACEY GARCIA
When I was about 7 years old, I heard so many tales about the aquatic world and unique marine animals and I wanted so badly to immerse myself in the adventure of discovering this unexplored region of the planet. With good luck, I had the chance to take the first step and learn all the techniques to be a professional open water diver by the hand of my amazing instructor, Francis. My first diving experience was at the Dubai Aquarium where I had the chance to dive with many spectacular animals like sharks, manta rays (one of them was on top of my head most of the time), sting rays, sand tiger sharks and giant groupers (etc.) This was a small taste of what was waiting for me in the real world. My curiosity grew at a very fast rate and I suddenly wanted to know the secrets of the aquatic realm. I cannot describe enough in words the feeling I had during my adventure at Dibba with Francis and the other buddies. I couldn’t believe that I was diving in the open sea and I was so surprised that a whole new world had been under my nose the entire time! We saw turtles, cuttlefish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, flounders, and coral – did you know that some species only grow 2cm a year? At the beginning of the dive we carried our equipment to the boat and assembled it to descend. As I went deeper, I inflated my BCD to compensate for the pressure differences, and I as ascended, I deflated it. I spotted many marine animals and overall, I enjoyed my trip to Dibba. The best part of my experience was not only to see those species, but also to share it with my buddies, family members and close friends, and share my passion for this new world. I am so excited to discover more about the deep sea when I grow up! I want to protect and conserve the ocean so that future generations also get to experience this spectacular world and all the alien-like creatures that come with it. Being a diver is not only about exploring the ocean, we need to use our skills to preserve the life and do everything we can to educate people about the importance of clean beaches and try our best to use less plastic. I can’t wait to start my journey to make a change to marine life! SEPTEMBER 2021 | DIVERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
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