The coast of Maui, from the boat heading to Molokini Crater.

Years ago, I experienced the privilege of an 8-day cruise visiting five of the Hawaiian islands. There were many excursions planned during days in port, yet my favorite involved snorkeling at Molokini Crater, a defunct & sunken volcano turned reef. Considered one of the best snorkeling sites in the world by National Geographic, Molokini Crater stands out in my memory not only as a spectacular site, but it’s where I first went snorkeling. I had to learn to breathe differently under water, which profoundly affected me.

With clear water views to depths greater than 50 feet, Molokini proudly displayed all kinds of indigenous fish, coral, & sea turtles at play. By just floating in the water with head submerged, I felt one with the water.

The crater upon approach by boat, from a distance off the coast of Maui.

Above the water, a half-crescent moon of volcanic rock juts out, creating a protected cove for coral below. A popular site for tours of snorkelers, as you approach you can see many anchored boats from a distance. But there’s an unspoken code of honor among the tour boats & guides to provide a private experience to those on board. So each boat & team keep a respectful distance from each other. Once there, a diver plunges down to moor the boat safely below the water’s surface.

Several boats moor near the crater.

The diver secures the site.

When properly anchored, head divers explain how to use snorkel gear. This was entirely new to me so I really paid attention to the advice provided. The bit explained about the breathing has stuck with me ever since that day.

The best part had to do with the human reaction to have the head submerged, nose & mouth, & how that makes the brain panic. The first instinct is to breathe in & out very rapidly like hyperventilation. The diver explained that we needed to focus solely on our breathing. Focus on slowing the breaths down until we arrived at a calm almost meditative state.

Snorkelers floating at the surface, looking down to the sea life below.

So, that’s what I did. It wasn’t an easy thing. Just as predicted, my breathing became panicked when I first tried to use the mouthpiece to breathe through the tube. And the sound was amplified in the water, as the only sound reverberating through my gear & into my ears. The breathing pace echoed that of hyperventilation, & I forced myself to follow the advice.

To reach a normal breathing pace, I focused for what felt like hours in the water. But it was more like 10-15 minutes. I kept slowing down, each breath sounding like Darth Vader with his respirator.

Hawaiian fish.

Once the breathing slowed to a normal pace, I could just float around, looking down through clear water to incredible depths. I could see all kinds of colorful fish, some in schools while others were loners. It seemed like a magical world below, like Atlantis hid there while the merfolk and selkies kept a distance from the humans above.

A close-up picture I took of a sea turtle swimming by.

Below, the sea turtle navigates around the coral reef.

Such a magical experience–snorkeling. As you already know from a many other posts, the sea calls to me. It’s a very important part of who I am. So being one with the life in those Hawaiian waters remains something I’ll never forget. I wish I could have just stayed there, like Madison from the 80s movie, “Splash,” which I still love.

The turtle swimming away.

As an introvert with clinical anxiety, I need strategies for remaining in a place of emotional calm. This helps me to maintain focus & avoid escalated physical symptoms in situations that can be quite painful for me literally. I can feel sharp pain in my body, & everything from nervous sweat to overwhelming dread can take over. It’s a rare event, but when it strikes it’s incredibly debilitating.

In my head, the memory of this experience, this activity of slowing my breathing underwater stands out as my consistent go-to when needed. I close my eyes & imagine myself in those warm waters, floating above the reefs at Molokini. And that memory always works, always soothes me.

I can imagine being the sea turtle gliding through the reef’s waters.

So, I offer Maui my gratitude for this beautiful experience. And I share this with others in the hope that it might just help someone else to know you can still be high-functioning career-wise, when you employ strategies for self-awareness & self-soothing.

Aerial view of Molokini Crater.