No Matter what happens, Travel gives you a story to tell… “Regretful tour of Snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean”

It was a perfect day. We started the day with a delicious Acai bowl and Kona coffee in our resort on Big Island. Then, we went for a long drive in a convertible car. It was fun driving the car on the empty roads, going side by side to the ocean on the Big Island. It was like a dream come true. I have always wanted to experience driving an open car on the beautiful island — of Hawaii. After waiting for more than 13 years, I was finally able to fulfill my wish that day. It was fun to face the wind on your face with your favorite music on, under the sky with the warm sun on you, to reduce the chilliness from the air. A memorable drive!! We reached Kona Village downtown. It’s a small, lovely town with many shops. I shopped for souvenirs for my friends and enjoyed strolling along the bay shore with my family. I wanted to buy that Kukui nut necklace and flower ornament for my hair, which is so famous in Hawaii. That place was perfect for shopping for junk jewelry. After fulfilling my shopping quest, we left for the White Sand beach. We weren’t sure if we had to trek to reach there or if our car could reach the beach location. The big island is a rocky beach. The access to most of the beaches is via Trekking on the rocky lava trails, or if you have the right car, you can drive through. Sports cars were not designed to be operated on rough roads.

However, to reach the white sand beach, thankfully, there was a decent path where we would drive our convertible and could avoid trekking on a full sunny day. We reached the beach and enjoyed the salty, turquoise blue, warm water of the wavy Pacific Ocean. It was refreshing, but the salt in the water was overpowering. You cannot spend long hours in such water as on a sunny day; the water starts irritating your skin and could cause skin peeling after a while. We enjoyed it there for a good amount of time, clicked pictures, and then returned to our resort. The day was going in a perfect rhythm as planned. After the shower and yummy lunch, we relaxed for some time. We had to be ready for the “Luau” dinner experience at Hilton in a few hours. All of us most awaited this event. This event is all about experiencing Hawaiian culture, dances, and delicacies. We’ve had a lot of fun since this morning, which could have been the cherry on top — a memorable event to wrap up the fun day. But we are “human,” after all. Our desire to want more and more from life drives us toward the crazy goals we set for ourselves. That’s correct; we experienced the same thing on that particular day. We wanted to squeeze the last drops of fun that day, so after the Luau dinner, we planned another exciting activity: “Mantra Ray- Snorkeling Tour in the Pacific Ocean at midnight.” Doesn’t that sound like a wild but enjoyable idea? Yeah, it was. But we thought it would be another thrill and excitement which we must complete on our six days trip to Big Island. Choosing this tour was based on its social media ranking of №1.

As we were getting ready for dinner, I did probe my husband about the night Snorkeling tour. As I am not a confident swimmer, I would like some reassurance regarding whether swimming was a requirement for the snorkeling tour. He declined. My son was equally worried about going in the water at night. According to my husband, snorkeling is an enjoyable water sport that does not require expert swimming. I tried to read about it online, but nothing much was mentioned, and then I trusted my better half for what he said. Despite my initial worries, I was still excited to attend the Luau dinner and eventually forgot about my concerns. We got ready and went to the event. The show was filled with vibrant, colorful dresses worn by performers and live music and a wide variety of delicious food options were available to enjoy. We had a great time and took lots of photos to remember it.

Where is my story going? What’s the point?

The point is we had enough that day, and there was no room for any more adventure or excitement. But we always need more than what and how much we have. Besides craving money or food, a person can be greedy for thrills and fun. Do you recall when you would go on vacation and plan your days from morning until night, ensuring you see everything and do not miss anything? You want to maximize the fun in a limited period. Subconsciously, we often associate this notion with determining the worth of our vacation expenses. It is important to remember that something will always be undone no matter what we do or how we do it. I have understood that concept; however, that day, My family and I were on a spree of having more and more fun and thrills. After a day filled with beach fun, Trekking, and a musical show, we were eager to take things up a notch with some night snorkeling. We did not do much research and took it for granted that it would be adventurous and fun.

Around 9 pm, we reached back to the hotel, and the magic of the Luau experience started fading as we changed into swimming costumes. My son and I were a bit nervous, but still, we wanted to do it. We did not know what was waiting for us that night.

We drove to the location, a harbor, as directed by our Captain. It was pitch dark in the port, and only one car was parked. There was a couple with a kid sitting in the car. We chatted and realized they were here to do the snorkeling. We felt better; however, the darkness of the port was scaring me and my son. After waiting for 15 minutes, finally, the Captain arrived in his truck. We met him, and he gave us wet suits to wear on our swimming costume dress. We realized the other family was super experienced and professional. They wore wet suits, including their young daughter, in no minute and were ready to rock. The Captain asked them if they were swimmers and needed life jackets. They declined, and only their young daughter took the life jacket. I was amazed by the Captain’s question and admired the courage of the two snorkelers. It was a little scary that wearing a life jacket was not deemed mandatory. I used logic and thought we would be snorkeling in shallow water, so the life jacket was not obligatory. That feeling gave me some comfort. However, the monstrous darkness around me was ready to swallow me, making me increasingly nervous.

The Captain asked us the same question. I requested a life jacket, and this time I could control my urge to inquire from him about the water depth where we intended to go snorkeling. When I asked him, he seemed unsure and suggested it could be between 30 and 50 feet. I was like, what? My head started spinning with that answer. But I remained calm and asked my husband and son to wear the life jacket. My son, who always listened to me, agreed. However, my husband ignored our conversation and decided not to wear a life jacket like the others. He was far from reality and wasn’t aware that in a few minutes, everything would change. Even I wasn’t prepared for that.

We wore our wetsuits and life jackets, except for my husband, and boarded the boat. It was a small, motorized dinghy boat. Well, I had never traveled in such a boat before. Only once in Aspen, Colorado, during river rafting time. But it was not a motorized boat, so I was still determining what this experience would be like. The Captain introduced his assistant, and all eight people started to sail. I was expecting to reach the destination in 5–10 minutes. The boat captain steadily accelerated as they left the bay and headed towards the ominous, churning sea. My heart came to my mouth when I realized what I had gotten into. Suddenly, the Captain ordered us to grip the ropes tightly while sitting on the edge. I was shocked as I looked at my husband and could sense that he was also tense. He never expected that and saw it coming.

Moreover, he was not even wearing a life jacket. On the other side, my son grew worried. He was sitting in the front, next to me. I advised him to keep holding onto the ropes and only let go once we arrived at our destination.

The boat’s speed increased, but the other family was calm and enjoying themselves despite our it was jumping on the waves of the Pacific Ocean. However, their young daughter was anxious and scared like us. With each passing moment, I trembled in fear and broke out in a cold sweat. My son, husband and I were all gripping the ropes tightly. As we were moving in the opposite direction of the current, we required greater velocity and force. The Captain thought that by increasing the speed, he would provide us with more thrills, and we could reach faster. As our boat hit a wave, my heart dropped.

My son was shouting at the top of his voice. He was terrified and panicked. The entire boat journey was quite unnerving. It was completely dark around us. The other family asked us to look at the sky and enjoy the stars. We were like, seriously? I was constantly praying to God for this horrible ride to be over. The ropes were the only means of survival. The ocean could sweep us away if we lose our grip. Despite being worried, I constantly encouraged my son to hold tight and be brave. I felt extremely anxious and panicked. I told my husband we had made a terrible mistake by registering for this tour. He was quiet. I knew he was scared and regretted his decision to put us through this drill. Rather than looking forward to snorkeling, we were praying for our lives and waiting for that trauma to get over. The other passenger lady, unfazed by the speed, darkness, or swelling ocean around us, encouraged my son by talking to him and assuring him that the ride would be much smoother on return.

And I constantly blamed my husband and thought, what did we do? We paid this Captain to get scared to the bone and experience this horror at midnight, in the middle of the ocean. I couldn’t see any other boats around us. What if any of us fell into the sea? I was mad at the Captain for not advising everyone to wear life jackets. How could he be so careless? Nobody can swim in the ocean. The only chance of survival if you fall into the sea, is the life jacket. The waves and the current were so strong in the sea that within a fraction of a second, you would be thrown somewhere, and it would be hard to locate you or save you; it’s important never to be careless when it comes to sailing or boating, regardless of your confidence or prior experience with activities like snorkeling. Always wear a life jacket for safety.

That ride and that night was the most horrible or scariest experience of my life. I have met a car accident in my life where we just got saved by the grace of God. But meeting an accident was neither my choice nor my decision. Here, I registered for this death experience by paying money. How could I be so stupid? The same angry and helpless thoughts were clouding my husband’s mind too. Thirty minutes later, we reached a spot where another big and safe boat was anchored, and a few people were snorkeling. By then, my son and I lost the appetite and interest in snorkeling. My son was seasick and in shock. He desperately wanted this ordeal to get over like a bad dream and to return safely to the hotel. We both decided to remain in the boat. My husband and other family did the snorkeling for about 10 minutes and watched Mantra Ray and other fish.

Within 10–15 minutes, everyone came back up. When I asked my husband about the experience, he said nothing. I understood he could not enjoy those 15 minutes in the water too. He was without a lifejacket and snorkel with the help of just a noodle tube. I do not know why he did it because I found that whole thing unsafe.

Moreover, he was not happy after watching the fish. Well, we left that place a headed back towards the port. While going back, the ride was not that bumpy, but the same terror we all had in our heads. We regretted our decision to take this tour and felt sorry. The enjoyment we have experienced thus far has dissipated and vanished. We desperately wanted this ordeal to get over and craving for our room comfort.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt on this tour, and we safely made it to our hotel. We reached home and tucked ourselves under the comforter, and slept. The morning we got up, we were happy that we all were safe and tried to forget that night as a bad dream.

If I reflect on that day, I learned many things from this horrible experience of our life:

1. It’s impossible to experience every single activity while on vacation, as there’s too much to see, learn, and take in. Some things will inevitably be left undone or unseen. Instead of being greedy and always wanting more, we need to learn how to have quality time. It is okay if something is left behind or not done. Please focus on the enjoyment and time together; however little it is. Vacation means fun, relaxing, and taking a break from daily madness.
2. The second most important learning is to avoid trusting social media mindlessly. It is important to have your research done before you decide to do any thrilling or adventurous activities. Many tours will be rated A+ online, but we must be careful. Online marketing is exaggerated, and one needs to all research before going for the Tours based on their ratings.
3. Always remember that safety comes first. I don’t know what kind of Snorkeling sports company this was that didn’t advise all passengers/snorkelers to wear life jackets. Going into such a deep ocean without a life jacket is the dumbest thing to do. Nobody would give you an award for this foolishness.
4. Make your vacations memorable, not regretful. Fun at the cost of your safety is not “Fun.”
5. Lastly, be aware and thoroughly research before any adventurous tour. Remember, “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” — Martin Luther King Jr.