YOU CAN BE THIS CLOSE…

Recently, I was flying into Orlando to visit Secrets Resort, and I saw a billboard for SeaWorld with the advertisement “You can be this close…” with a giant photo of a sea turtle swimming towards you.

I remember growing up near SeaWorld when I was a kid and visiting the different exhibits and shows. Today SeaWorld has fallen out of favor with many people because people do not want to see large sea life (especially orcas, in such small enclosures, but as a kid, I was fascinated to see sea life up close, it inspired me to want to go into the sea and see these magnificent creatures up close for myself. I wanted to actually see them in the wild.

I spent years swimming in the community pool, learning how to swim with a mask and fins, dreaming of a day when I would swim with sea turtles, sharks, and sea lions.

Eventually, those early years would pay off for me, and I became a lifeguard and then a USCG Helicopter Rescue Swimmer and finally a Rescue diver. All accomplishments because I wanted to be “this close”.

When I was stationed in Monterey, California, I finally got my chance to swim with sea lions and many other incredible sea life that is prevalent in the Monterey Bay area.

I saw orcas up close, swimming in the wild, I saw sharks and all kinds of fish, stingrays, squid, and my favorite sea creatures were the cute little sea otters that would crack open clams, muscles, and crabs by banging them with a rock as they floated on their backs.

Over the years, I got the chance to swim with penguins in the wild, while in the Galapagos Islands. They are so awkward on land, but they shoot through the water with unbelievable speed and ease.

I have been able to swim with lots of different types of sharks, sea turtles, octopuses, dolphins, manta rays, and countless varieties of tropical fish.

During USCG training missions, I would frequently be left out at sea, at night, out of sight of land or any lights. Just me and the sea.

I would lay on my back and float in the sea until the helicopter would come back later on and retrieve me. I felt so at peace out in the ocean all by myself, it is one of the things I miss the most from my USCG days.

As I was going down the escalator in the airport, looking up at this big photo of a sea turtle, I was reminded of an amazing experience I had last month. I was able to see a huge migration of sea turtles coming onto the beach near my home in Zipolite, Mexico. Click here to see all the amazing photos.

During just two days, an estimated three to five million sea turtles came ashore to bury their eggs on the beach. They estimate that they collectively laid up to five hundred million eggs.

It was an amazing experience to see. I cannot put into words what it was like to see tens of thousands of sea turtles, as far as the eye could see. They just went on and on for miles and miles on the Oaxaca coast.

It was a beautiful day and the sun was setting and I was watching the circle of life, not in a tank at SeaWorld, or on an episode of the Wild Kingdom, but right in front of my eyes. It was amazing and as I was heading down the escalator, I thought to myself how lucky I have been. How incredible my life has been when it comes to being “this close” to so many amazing creatures in the wild.

But I realized at that moment that it really wasn’t luck…

I had found a passion early in life and I went out and I searched out my dreams and I made them happen. Luck will only get you so far, there are amazing adventures, sunsets, experiences, and opportunities out there for all of us. We just need to acknowledge them and go find them.

If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that we need to create time for ourselves. We need to go out and find our passions, our dreams and we need to make them happen.

It’s a shift in priorities, it’s a decision we all must make in our search for balance. If all we do is wake up and go to work, so we can pay for our house and car, and then go back to work to pay for more things, one day we will wake up and realize that we lost a lot of opportunities that passed us by.

I challenge you to go outside and experience nature. It doesn’t have to be a big trip to the Galapagos Islands, it could be a walk in your local park. It could be a short hike to a beach or a state or national park.

You could start by turning off the TV and just sitting still while the sunsets. Don’t give up when the sun actually sets, stick around and watch the sky as the clouds turn colors. Watch how the day turns into night and the stars start to come out.

You can start out with something simple, but don’t let life pass you by without taking the time to really enjoy your life. Take the time to get up close for yourself and you will find more balance in your life.

— Bob & Tess