The fifth day of the Bali retreat was one of my absolute favorite days because we dedicated the whole day to water! As usual, it started with rising and shining really really early. So early. But when it’s for snorkeling and scuba diving who wouldn’t want to wake up early?!

On water days we postpone yoga until the evening so we can get out on the boat. This retreat was especially cool because we had almost a full set of divers! It was loads of fun to have a bunch of #scubagirls on a trip. That reminds me, I still need to post a group pic on Insta…
Anyway, I love scuba diving and promoting the wealth of our ocean, so this day is so fun. Scuba diving is the most freeing, meditative and restoring activity I regularly partake in. There’s something so humbling about being in a vast open ocean where everything can see you. I just feel so blessed and grateful when I see ocean critters, whether they’re in Napa, Bali, or anywhere else. In fact, if I got to relive my life again I’d find myself on a remote island diving every day or doing some sort of marine biology work. But I guess I’ll take scuba diving in Bali with some of my favorite people on earth instead hahaha.

On a real note, it’s amazing how as adults we go through all these different self-discovery moments that help us realize who we are. That’s the beauty of these retreats. They’re healing, meditative and help you discover the person you truly are or want to become, and all that with only a few days away from home and work.

This dive wound up being my second most favorite dive I’ve ever been on despite the cold water. My first favorite was diving with 6 bull sharks in Cabo Pulmo. They really are just misunderstood ocean puppies. This is where my ocean conservation self kicks in. Not many people can say they are calmer in the ocean surrounded by sharks than at a concert surrounded by people and their favorite music. But I can because I’d rather dive with the sharks any day! And that’s why on every dive I pray to see these incredible creatures.

Now if sharks are not your jam, don’t worry. We didn’t see any sharks on this trip and that’s because you’ll almost never see sharks in Bali. But if you do, don’t worry because Bali sharks are safer than coconuts! Haha. So really – don’t worry about this.

Anyway, back to this dive. Even though we didn’t spot any sharks, we did see something really exciting – giant manta rays! That was so amazing.

Here’s what happened – we jumped into a cove where the huge manta rays feed on the top of the water. So in this dive, the goal is to jump in and sink to the bottom. Once you get there, you turn upside down and look up to see all the beautiful rays doing their thing. They glide atop the surface effortlessly collecting their food and looking magical as their (bat wings???? Not sure what to call their arms hahaha) pectoral fins swiftly move up and down. It is truly God’s gift.

Day 5 in Bali, aka Mola Mola for Days

2/20/2019

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The fifth day of the Bali retreat was one of my absolute favorite days because we dedicated the whole day to water! As usual, it started with rising and shining really really early. So early. But when it’s for snorkeling and scuba diving who wouldn’t want to wake up early?!
On water days we postpone yoga until the evening so we can get out on the boat. This retreat was especially cool because we had almost a full set of divers! It was loads of fun to have a bunch of #scubagirls on a trip. That reminds me, I still need to post a group pic on Insta…
Anyway, I love scuba diving and promoting the wealth of our ocean, so this day is so fun. Scuba diving is the most freeing, meditative and restoring activity I regularly partake in. There’s something so humbling about being in a vast open ocean where everything can see you. I just feel so blessed and grateful when I see ocean critters, whether they’re in Napa, Bali, or anywhere else. In fact, if I got to relive my life again I’d find myself on a remote island diving every day or doing some sort of marine biology work. But I guess I’ll take scuba diving in Bali with some of my favorite people on earth instead hahaha.

On a real note, it’s amazing how as adults we go through all these different self-discovery moments that help us realize who we are. That’s the beauty of these retreats. They’re healing, meditative and help you discover the person you truly are or want to become, and all that with only a few days away from home and work.

This dive wound up being my second most favorite dive I’ve ever been on despite the cold water. My first favorite was diving with 6 bull sharks in Cabo Pulmo. They really are just misunderstood ocean puppies. This is where my ocean conservation self kicks in. Not many people can say they are calmer in the ocean surrounded by sharks than at a concert surrounded by people and their favorite music. But I can because I’d rather dive with the sharks any day! And that’s why on every dive I pray to see these incredible creatures.

Now if sharks are not your jam, don’t worry. We didn’t see any sharks on this trip and that’s because you’ll almost never see sharks in Bali. But if you do, don’t worry because Bali sharks are safer than coconuts! Haha. So really – don’t worry about this.

Anyway, back to this dive. Even though we didn’t spot any sharks, we did see something really exciting – giant manta rays! That was so amazing.

Here’s what happened – we jumped into a cove where the huge manta rays feed on the top of the water. So in this dive, the goal is to jump in and sink to the bottom. Once you get there, you turn upside down and look up to see all the beautiful rays doing their thing. They glide atop the surface effortlessly collecting their food and looking magical as their (bat wings???? Not sure what to call their arms hahaha) pectoral fins swiftly move up and down. It is truly God’s gift.

On the next dive, we went from cold water to freezing water only to jump in right next to Mola Mola, aka sunfish. They are SO HUGE. These fish range from 545 pounds to over 2,000 pounds!!! They put it all in perspective when you’re lucky enough to swim beside them. I mean, can you imagine facing one of these gentle critters in the sea?!

Speaking of, we jumped in next to two that were somewhere between 600 – 800 pounds. In fact, Matt jumped right on top of one and the Mola Mola had to swim right between his legs hahaha. We hilariously captured this on the Go Pro! Love that thing.

On the last dive, the current was so strong we decided to drift. Drifting is when you let the current take you along the outside of the reef, letting the sea decide where you go next. This was truly magical because it felt like we were inside the most exotic fish tank. The coral was so vibrant, fish were everywhere, and we felt like we were in a Where’s Wally fish edition. Everywhere you looked there were parrot fish, butterfly fish, ribbon sweetlips fish, triggerfish, trumpet, grouper, angelfish, sea turtle, sea stars, eel and other vibrant fish I don’t even know the name of. All this celebrity fish spotting is exactly why I feel so at ease in the sea. More importantly, it’s why day five of our retreat was one of my all-time favorite days ever.

So tell me – have you ever gone scuba diving or snorkeling? If so, what was the coolest thing you saw in the water?

Xoxo,
Tessa
Highlight of the day: Seeing the Mola Mola sunfish!
Lowlight of the day: Rough sea rides on a boat are never fun