My First Snorkeling Trip in Malaysia

How is it, you can wake up sweating and it’s only 8:30 am? Oh yes, our oscillating fan goes off automatically at 8 am. Today is our first day to snorkel. We find a place not far up the beach from us that has an all-day trip for 40 ringgits ($11). The masks and snorkels are laying on the ground and we’re told to help ourselves and try them out. We go to the beach, into the water, I put on the mask, place the mouthpiece of the snorkel in my mouth and slowly put my face into the water. I keep telling myself, “Don’t panic. Don’t panic.” “Panicking isn’t going to help me to breathe. Just breathe through your mouth.” ‘Just breathe.” Then, all of a sudden I get water in my ear and it’s startling. Good grief, I don’t even have my whole head in the water. Is this going to be a disaster? Let’s try again. Getting deeper in the water is better. My ears are completely submersed so it doesn’t seem so freaky. Now I just need to remember to breathe through my mouth and remember, I’m breathing. Everything is okay. Be calm.

There are 11 people on our boat; two girls from Germany, five from Spain and another couple. We have five stops: One, a coral reef that had amazing brightly colored small fish. The second stop I saw two sharks, five to six feet in length. Stop three, Andy saw a sea turtle. Four, dozens of schools of fish and I saw a sea turtle. Our last stop was at a lovely beach with pure, white sand. This stop was just for swimming. After our third stop, we were taken to a landing that had a place to have lunch. I had fried rice with chicken and Andy had spicy fish.

Here’s the thing, this is my first time snorkeling. Andy’s first-time too but he’s young, a good swimmer, I’m okay but this is all new. We all put on our flippers, get on our masks and snorkels and I kinda’ jump into the water. For some reason, I thought Andy and I were going to do this together but he was off like a shot. Okay, breathe. I’m not drowning and look at those fish! They are beautiful but in the back of my mind I’m thinking two things; Where is ‘our’ boat? And how do I get in? Actually, three things; Don’t be last.

I’m not sure how these masks work but I can see the fish, they seem magnified and maybe it’s because they are so close, I don’t know I just know I don’t have my glasses on and without them I’m legally blind. As I squint, I think I know which boat is ours, good. Now, how do we get in? I can’t imagine it if I have to pull myself in. I’m starting to hate this. Don’t be first, no worries there, and don’t be last. Oh look, someone is swimming toward the boat. Oh look, they pulled out a ladder. That’s how you get back on the boat. Such relief. Now I can enjoy the fish and not worry about getting into the boat for the rest of the excursion.

When we get back Andy and I decide to borrow the snorkeling equipment and explore our own beach. For hours, until it’s too dark to snorkel we see thousands of yellow fish, clownfish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, a couple of huge fish hiding in the rocks, oral and so much more. Spectacular. You’re swimming, trying to touch a fish and it’s not going to happen but a couple of times, “Ouch” some fish would come up and take a bite.