I learned to SCUBA dive while in Papua New Guinea in 1997. I can honestly say that it has been one of the greatest adventures of my life! Seeing pictures of this spectacular underwater world is great, but existing in it, even for just a short while, was a thousand times better.
One of the neatest things was the constant newness of it all. No matter how many times I dove any one spot, there were always more things to see than there was air in my tank. Swimming over a "forest" of coral, hanging out in a sunken boat with a few lion fish, or sitting on the railing of that boat just watching the fish swim around... it was all mesmerizing! And it was always changing, never dull, always beautiful.
Of course, I did have the BEST diving buddy ever... Jan Messersmith. Since he has been diving there for years, he was able to show me so many things that I would have overlooked in my anxiety to see everything. And the more I dove, the more I learned to look for the "little" pleasures (like a fish who blends in with the sand) as well as the big thrills (like an enormous purple clam).
Having learned to dive in the waters of Madang, I am forever spoiled. I've gone diving since then in the US, but nothing compares.
...All the more reason to be thankful for what God has made and for my being able to experience it