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Michael Connors
Air? Check. BCD? Check. Weights? Check. I finish my pre-dive check on the life support equipment that allows me to visit this alien world beneath the waves. I slip my mask over my face, step to the edge of our boat, and take a giant stride forward; a step out of the human world and into the unknown. I splash into the cool water and resurface, bouncing up and down in the waves, like a fishing bobber, as I wait for my brother to make the leap. We deflate our BCDs, slip below the surface, and begin our descent into a vast landscape of deep blue. I am weightless in the water – floating as if I was in space. I feel light and move with ease as I slowly sink to the ocean floor where a curious nurse shark is waiting for me. She glances at me and continues her effortless swim through the colorful coral covered valleys teeming with fish. My brother and I exchange shakas and begin floating through a whole new world.
I had no idea that scuba diving would become my biggest passion when I started in 2019, but I was hooked right from my first visit to the underwater world. I purchased my own equipment after that first trip and worked to advance my diving as often as I could. 150+ dives later and the ocean still surprises and fascinates me. This is truly the last frontier of nature – marine life has not learned to fear humans like land animals have. They let me visit and observe their world, and I respect their home to ensure I get invited back. When I’m diving among the one million species living underwater I realize that I am part of an ecosystem much greater than myself. Seeing these creatures, from the smallest flamingo tongue to the largest shark, helps me appreciate the earth, life, and our short time here.
I started taking photographs to capture what I was seeing and show people how phenomenal the ocean is. It covers 70% of our planet and we tend to see just the top – a vast blue blanket of water. Yet, our oceans account for the majority of life and have accumulated over three million shipwrecks. An entire new frontier is waiting for us – all we have to do is look below the surface.
I created this website to bring people along on my adventures to see the ocean as I do; through my mask, as an awe-inspiring place, but also as a vital part of our lives that should be protected. Our oceans produce over half the world’s oxygen, absorb 50 times more CO2 than our atmosphere, and provide numerous resources to support us. The unique conditions of our earth and four billion years of evolution created this impressive ecosystem of life, but we do not yet have enough appreciation to protect it. Through plastic pollution, oil spills, overfishing, overdevelopment, and accelerated global warming, we are quickly destroying an ecosystem we depend on that will not come back once it is gone. The diversity of marine life is awe-inspiring and something everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy. From my own experience, I’ve learned that the more we see what is down there, the more we care about preserving it. I hope this inspires you or your kids to learn to dive and become an ocean advocate.
My Favorite Ocean Organizations
