The Mexican coral rainbow

My brother and sister ready to dive into the unexpected, from my snorkelling mask’s pov.

This past week, me and my family visited Mexico over Christmas break. Although, as a whole, the trip was surprising and interesting (both negatively and positively) one specific moment stood out for me. On Wednesday, we signed up for a snorkelling tour of Playa del Carmen, where the world’s 2nd largest coral reef lies. This experience excited me in ways modern art museums stun an artist, and I would like to share a glimpse of it with you…

The visually overpowering scenery broke through the deep water’s expected, complete silence. A forest of corals immediately  caught my eye as the collection swayed calmly, in near perfect synchronisation. The array of colours tangled with the water, the way paint on a brush drools against its palette.  Suddenly everything came to life, in such a rushed manner that I was completely overwhelmed. What seemed to be millions of fish engulfed my foreign body, surrounding me entirely. My limbs froze, unfamiliar with the density of this ecosystem. This multitude of species left me speechless, but curious.

As my head emerged from the water to get a glimpse of reality, it appeared that someone else was also seeking the same. Both our heads came into contact with the exteriorly unfamiliar wind and I suddenly come face to face with a sea turtle. Shocked in excitement and disbelief we lock eyes for an instant, as if I was making eye contact with a strange human.

This journey could be perfectly described as present nostalgia: so blissfully pleasant that you know you’ll be missing it in the future.