Since this is the first installment of Flashback Friday, I thought it would be fitting to search for something to post that also related to a first of some kind.  When I came across these photos, my searching immediately ended.

Some years ago,  my daughter expressed an interest in learning to scuba dive.  Having a few dives under my weight-belt, I was totally thrilled at the news.  Sara enrolled in a basic open-water certification course (taught by her cousin Bruce), and after thorough training involving classroom work, pool training, beach dives, and open-water dives off of a commercial dive boat, she proudly had her C-card in hand.  Retta and I were living on a boat at that time, a trawler named Lorelei, so we said “Hey Sara, how about going out to the Channel Islands with us for some diving?”  “Sure”, she replied.  And so we did.

While we were gearing up for a dive along a shallow reef in the vicinity of the sea lion rookery on the south side of Anacapa Island, we spotted a harbor seal peeking out from the floating kelp fronds, apparently spying on us.

After finishing the ritual of gearing up and performing buddy checks on each other, Sara and I took turns entering the cool waters of the Pacific ocean with the finest back-rolls off the starboard bulwark that we could muster up.

As we descended down the water column, we could not help but be entranced by the sight of the giant kelp, which sways to and fro in the gentle surge of the sea.

As we continue our descent to the bottom, so that I can check to be certain that the anchor is securely set, we both continue to admire the surreal seascape that unfolds before our eyes.

As you gaze up at the sight of the sunlight, watching as the rays dance between kelp fronds, you can become so entranced with the moment that you don’t notice other things that surround you.  Like the harbor seal that Sara and I saw from the deck of the boat.

Because we had been so intent in our focus on the kelp, this harbor seal felt secure enough to approach us.  After spending a little while with us, the seal lazily swam off into the kelp forest.  Sara and I continued our dive, examining the various creatures that one is likely to encounter in the area, including a curious California sea lion.

They say that all good things must come to an end, and so it was with this dive.  Sara and I made our way back towards the boat.  Locating our anchor line, we were about to begin our ascent when we spotted another harbor seal, apparently their to bid us adieu!

Slowly ascending along the anchor chain, we made a safety decompression stop at a depth of 15 feet.  When the required time had elapsed, we both made our way over to the swim platform, where we boarded Lorelei and stripped off our gear.  This had turned out to be a wonderful day.  The sun was shining.  The seas were calm.  The visibility underwater was excellent.  The marine life had been exceptionally cooperative.  But most important, Sara’s maiden dive as a certified diver turned out to be a great one!

And Sara’s papa was proud.