Dreaming with Dolphins and Whales

   I often dream at night that I am swimming with dolphins and whales. Last night I dreamt that I was on a small boat in the Pacific followed by a baby Humpback that was breaching in its wake. In my dream, it was so close that I could see the bumpy texture on it's shinny skin and beautiful dreamy eyes. My heart was so opened by this night time encounter, I told my dreamy self that I want to feel like this all of the time!

I awoke this morning with an urge to share how much I love being in the water, especially where the whales, dolphins, whale sharks and other deep sea creatures swim in many shades of blue. 

These are dolphin pictures from my last days of free diving in Kona. 

I have never been afraid of deep water. When I had my orca encounter, the water was roughly one mile deep. I often feel very safe and almost supported by the open ocean. Over the years it has given me great comfort to be in the vast and beautiful sapphire depths.

It is an elixir to my soul. 

  The photographs above and below are my very first photographs of the Pacific bottle nose dolphins. I have been with them from a distance and had the joy of swimming with them at night with the mantas  in Kona but I had never taken a picture of one so close. The sonar was very strong and it felt wonderful to meet these curious eyes, face to face. 

     Each time that I am able to make contact and document what I see underwater, a feeling of joy flows through my entire body. It is a somatic experience that feels blissful and exciting. I love making contact with new sea creatures and sharing my experiences with my friends and family. I also enjoy learning about new environments, the animals and my journeys.

       When I share with the little ones there is always an immediate sense of curiosity and wonder. They are always eager to know more, children really appreciate and pay special attention to each detail of my stories. Adults on the other hand, often look at me with a dubious glance followed by a tilted head and often have a confused look in their eyes. 

    When I am underwater,  I feel that I am in the flow of life, and that nature is much bigger than me. My soul sings. As I swim with my weight belt and my camera I am in my perfect element. This is a feeling that many people who spend a lot time in the ocean understand. We are like a secret society, participating in two worlds at once, it can feel sacred. 

There is something magical about being submerged in this beautiful aquatic world. It is mysterious, delicate, unknown and expansive. The ocean teaches me something new during each encounter and she also gives me  profound and beautiful healings.

     It is my hope that my pictures may open another world for people to experience or know the mysteries of the ocean.  

 If we love and appreciate something close to our heart then we will take good care of it, and protect it's future. 

 Jacques Yves Cousteau said: 

"People protect what they love". 

     I love the dolphins, the whales and other sea creatures so much so that  I am now sharing my pictures with more frequency. I am deeply concerned about the Pacific Ocean and the leak of the reactor in Fukishima, Japan. What has been my personal sanctuary and retreat is now being continuosly poisoned by pollution. I am feeling the push to go deeper inside myself to find what I can do to curb this immediate  crisis. In my heart, I feel that beauty is what moves people and so it is my hope that these pictures of amazing sea creatures will open others to a new level of curiosity, wonder, consciousness and respect for what lives beneath us in the watery realms.

The time is now.