Under Water

My wife and I are officially submariners! This is a picture that I took from inside the submarine. I believe we were around 80 ft (about 25 m) under water at this time. You can see the coral reef at the bottom.

We were on the submarine Atlantis VII. It is stationed in Kona on the big Island of Hawaii. (This is the city closest to the recent earthquake. We were there ten days after the quake. We did not see any damage from it.)

I really enjoyed the trip. I have always been fascinated by submarines. It was great to be inside one and go under water. During the trip, the deepest we went was 103 ft (just over 31 m) below the surface. We toured a coral reef. There were a lot of fish. We did not see any larger sea creatures. At one point, the sub came to a large sandy area on the ocean floor, and the captain set the sub down on the sand.

It was our most expensive shore excursion. For me, it was worth it. I know for many people, it would not be too exciting. It is not extreme, or scary, or physically demanding. It is an unique experience, and an unusual way to see a coral reef.

(P.S. I made it home safely from Finland.)