Anderson 1 Sakura Anderson Mr. Neuberger English Comp.

101-130 February 26, 2012 Descriptive Essay Playing Catch with a Jellyfish I was the first one on the banana boat for the second trip out to sea with my cousins. I held on to the thick blue nylon strap in front of me as I bent over the inflatables edge. I cupped a handful of water and splashed it on the back of my neck, hoping to find relief from the itchy plastic of the life jacket that was scraping away at my skin. I looked up into the sky and squinted as my eyes caught the commanding light of the sun. Just the act of squinting set my face ablaze with fire like an Indian burn would do to an arm. I bent over the boat again and splashed the salty water on my face, knowing this would only give me temporary relief. My cousins boarded the blowup boat, and we all gripped the blue rope in front of us as if we were mounting a bull and preparing to reach the eight second bell. On the front side of the banana boat was a long thick rope that was about forty yards in length. At the other end of the rope was a jet ski that my uncle was inspecting and getting ready to go. He put the key into the ignition, and you could hear the deep revving of the engine and water sputtering from the back. He gave us one last look with a sneaky grin on his face and sped off on the jet ski. The loose rope in front of us gave a tight jolt, and before we could catch our breathes, we were off. The thrilling laughter and high pitched screams fueled the jet ski faster and faster. We were far from the shore and in the deep blue. I peeked around the person in front of me and notice the sharp turn of the jet ski. This was expected and this is what was the hard grip on the rope was for. As

Anderson 2 our bodies were still going forward, the banana boat took a sharp left turn. The boat underneath us was no longer there and was replaced with the dark ocean, lapping up the space around us like the motion of a hand, inviting us in. I took that invitation without a chance of protest and landed in the cool sun-kissed waters of the Pacific Ocean. I burst through the seams of water to the air above. I take a deep wholesome breath of fresh ocean air and wiped the water from my eyes. I looked around me and saw the heads of my family pop up one by one, giggling and whooping with joy. We all swam together and formed a circle to talk about the amazing acrobatics performed after being launched from the boat. We then took off the goggles around our necks and placed them comfortably on our heads. One after the other we all gathered in a pocket full of air and dove back down into the ocean. Im left breathless as I take in the new ocean view around me. We were swimming above the most amazing coral reef. The rocks were the size of city buses and they were mostly grey with a hint a blue as if the color of the ocean faded onto them. Different types of coral sprouted among the rocks in patches. The colors of the coral were those found in a box of crayons. From the deepest purple to the softest pastel color of green; it was like looking at natures pot of gold, and it was all mine to take in. The coral came in all types of shapes and sizes. Some took on the image of the naked trees found alongside the roads in winter, while others looked like thick long gummy worms, swaying rhythmically with the current. The fish were those you saw on the ocean documentaries of the Discovery Channel. There were small fish, big fish, yellow fish, and blue fish. More colors were found on these fish than any tye-dye shirt could hold. While the vast parade of fish swam freely in the water, on the rocks and coral reefs were starfish and eels. The star fish were a creamy peach coloring with pink protruding circles that lined the middle of each arm, ending in tints of yellow sun at the tips. The

Anderson 3 eels on the other hand lacked in light lively colors. They camouflaged well within rocks through their assortment of silky blacks with highlights of murky green. The eels reminded me of a willow tree's branches. The rock imitated the trunk of a tree, and every now and then the eels would sprout from the rock and move to and fro as if there were a breeze. If you swam too close to the eels they would shoot back into the rock like an eye-stock of a snail retreating back into its body. It was absolutely remarkable to have a chance to watch life happen before your eyes in this blue marine world. The suns rays were just barely touching the oceans surface and we all knew it was time to head to shore. We all pulled ourselves back onto the banana boat and slowly headed toward the beach. I felt melancholy about leaving such a perfect setting in a realm where not many people had a chance of seeing. We reached the shallow waters and jumped off of the boat only to be met with a swarm of jellyfish. I frantically started slapping the water around me, trying to create a space that was not infested with jellyfish. From behind my cousin grabbed a handful and through them at my back. I shuddered and cringed at the touch, waiting for the shock of my life. To my disbelief there was no pain from the touch. Through rolls of laughter my cousin told me these jellyfish were harmless and would not sting. With a sigh of relief I looked into the crystal clear waters and picked one up as big as my hand. It felt like reaching into those slimy bowls of spaghetti, imitating innards at a Halloween party. The jellyfish were the color of French onion soup with speckles of dark brown covering the top. The tentacles were short, thick, and hung from the body like party streamers. I put the big jellyfish down and picked up one of the smaller ones. The bodies of these were the size of peas and the tentacles barely left the body. Without a thought I yelled, Catch, to my cousin, and he fumbled around in the water trying to catch the petite jellyfish. This started the exciting game of catch with a jellyfish. We would

Anderson 4 throw the tiny ones high into the air and catch them in our hands before they hit the water. It was entertaining to watch my cousin flailing around in the water, trying to run against the surf. The game came to an end when we both were weary and could no longer run against the resistance of the sea. I gently place the jellyfish back into the water and watched it bob up and down as the waves carried it away. I spent the rest of the day on the beach burrowing my fingers and toes into the damp sand beside me, creating a warm blanket around my legs and arms. I watched the ocean slowly devouring the last rays of the sun, announcing the time to return to the campsite. The muscles in my legs ached in protest as I trudged up the concrete steps to the camp. On the way up I reminisced about the surreal day I had knowing the dreams and fantasies I would have that night wouldnt measure up to the reality of the day spent.