I’m not a very strong swimmer, so being out in the ocean is always a little scary for me. When we go snorkeling, I tend to stay pretty close to shore and my breathing isn’t as relaxed as it should be. But I brave it–partly because I’m usually with my husband and I know he’ll keep me safe, and also because of the chance I’ll be rewarded by some amazing sights.

On Saturday, our last day of vacation on The Big Island, we got up extra early to go to the beach one more time before having to pack the last of our belongings and check out. I considered not going for a brief moment, tempted by a few extra minutes of sleep and a more leisurely packing experience. Fortunately, I decided that I better take advantage of this last opportunity because who knows when we’ll be back.

I swam out behind my husband, who was already many yards farther out into the ocean. I decided to take it slow and go at my own pace. There were still plenty of sea creatures to see, I told myself. As I floated in one spot, not seeing much and thinking that maybe I should venture a little farther out, I spied something just ahead of me. I pushed in a little closer to get a better look. Was that an eye? Wait, is that what I think it is? It was. It was an octopus! I clumsily grabbed at my phone that was tucked into its waterproof case. Come on, this was not the time for the buttons to fail me. A few taps and swipes and I had my video camera recording! I used iMovie to speed up and then slow down the best part.

If I ever I think about sleeping in instead of enjoying a few more minutes of adventure, I’ll remember this moment.

The title of my post came from this amazing documentary of the same name.