I remember one of things that was repeated constantly throughout the time while I was going through my certification programs abouts staying
active and alert while underwater which is a very important defense mechanism. For
example… it prevents you from running into fire coral, potentially poisonous fish,
harming a reef, or dropping into the great abyss. However, it also prevents you from missing something
important things. 
There are times when the floor would be rather empty but
above me there would be schools of fish swimming around in all sorts of
formation. Sea lions come in from all and any directions while playing with each other. They are like the ballerinas
of the ocean. My best memory was when I was busy poking my head into crevices and crannies, looking all around for lobsters
when I was diving at the Pelican Preserve around Anacapa Islands. I
decided to look up and see what was around me and out from the horizon come a
school of mola mola in a V-shaped formation. That would have been an awesome
video to have. Sadly I was not carrying a camera at that time but I did at
least have the opportunity to see it. Remember, unlike being on land where our movements are strictly in one plane when we are walking or driving and we normally only pay attention to maybe one plane. In diving, we can move in all direction and so can everything else. Remember to be aware of not only what is in front of you or below you but above you and behind you as well.
Written by: Wayne Lu, Jun 24, 2012
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