Mark Schulte journalist, teacher, IT enthusiast

diving certification

After years of taking advantage of PADI's very convenient Discover SCUBA course in the Philippines, the Caribbean and Mexico, I finally decided to get a proper Open Water Diver certification this summer. I highly recommend PADI's e-Learning, and the dive shop Dive with Martin in Cozumel.

We did a total of seven boat dives, one at night, and dove to a maximum depth of 100 feet. We saw four or five dolphins the first day (and swam "with" them), reef sharks, turtles, grouper, stingrays, lobsters, and any number of tropical fish.

Too many Texans, too many cruise ships, but an incredible experience all the same.

I hope this TED talk by Sylvia Earle, a hero of mine who's done more to educate people about ocean life than anyone except Jacques Cousteau, inspires you to explore the world underwater.