"Just look at the world around you / Right here on the ocean floor / Such wonderful things surround you..."
So sang the Little Mermaid's lobster friend, Sebastian: but how do we get down to that ocean floor?
Scuba is the best way, but requires instruction time, andis for ages twelve and up. (Scuba can be expensive, too, though some all-inclusive resorts offer free scuba.)
Snuba -- snorkeling with an air hose-- is another option, butinvolves some tricky breathing to control buoyancy.
Much, much, easier is sea-trekking.
Sea-trek?
It's so simple: just pull on an astronaut-type helmet, step down a ladder, and go down, down, to the briny deep for a guided walk undersea-- without even getting your hair wet.
Air is pumped gently through a hose into your helmet, increasing air pressure so no water can get in. The helmet would feel heavy out of water (70 pounds!), but in the oceanthe weight isn't noticeable.
Families can sea trek in Jamaica, Hawaii, Cancun, and St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. Click on the photo above to see the sea-trekking Observatory at Coral World on St. Thomas.
How a sea trek works at Coral World:
- minimum age is 8 years old (and sea-trekkers must weigh at least 80 pounds)
- a short instruction period precedes your outing
- a maximum ofseven people are in a sea-trek group
- the group walks along an underwater path equipped with handrails
- a marine expert accompanies the group on the sea trek, and points out interesting undersea life
- depth is approximately 15 feet
- the sea-trek lasts half an hour
- specators can watch sea-trekkers through glass windows at the Undersea Observatory (see picture above)
During our sea trek, the instructor took time to help my son-- who tends to have ear troubles from water pressure--overcome some initial discomfort sothat he could carry on withthe trek. Two thumbs up for Coral World!
Everyone in our group would agree with Sebastian:
"We've got no troubles / Life is the bubbles / Under the sea..."
