Mother (Nature) Rules!

  I stepped out last week into another ‘comfort zone’.  Not necessarily an expanded one, just different from my normal work routine.  Some would call it a holiday.

I was scuba diving in the islands north of Port Hardy.  For some people scuba diving might conjure images of cobalt blue waters and remote, exotic white sandy beaches.  But not in northern BC.  In mid -October.   Remote, yes.  Exotic – well that’s in the eye of the beholder.

  The diving is fantastic, rated by Jacques Cousteau as second best on the planet next to the Red Sea – and I would dispute that- but it’s the mid-October weather that might be  reason for  complaint.  Unsettled weather would have been expected but we endured 4 days of constant gale force winds (25+ knots) and an evening of storm, verging on hurricane force warnings (65 knots).  Fortunately the dive sites were very well protected and we put up with a few minutes of uncomfortable waves scooting out of our sheltered bay and around the corner to where the dive sites were.  Although the winds continued unabated there were periods of almost open blue sky and fortunately what happens above the water is not much of concern when you’re 60 feet below.

  Apart from the beautiful sea life among the other memorable moments from our dives was an encounter with curious sea lions. 

It is not unusual to have one  sea lion ‘buzz’ you as you are diving but on one occassion a group of 5 animals was curious enough to stay with me, performing their aquatic ballet like their much smaller seal cousins.  It can be intimidating, but there is also a detectible intelligence there as you make eye contact.  I am reminded of a quote by Douglas Adams that can easily be adapted to sea lions from his original comment on dolphins:

   “Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc., and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons”.  

  I can’t claim any physical fitness or nutritional benefits from my break, but I’ll add some mental health points, with smiles on the inside for those who put Mother Nature in second spot!