The wall was getting knocked down until there was just a little fear left. It was good to have a little fear, it kept my alert levels high enough not to make mistakes. It was something that I’d learnt in Bali. There was a time I let go of all fear, and as a consequence, over-confidence took over and I took my eye off the ball. But that lesson had been learned. Not to have so much fear that it takes over, but not to get rid of it completely. The sea lapped around the boat—we were the only ones out here. It helps when you get to know locals. Locks had all his gear on, as did we all, and he jumped in first.

Don’t do it, just sit back in the boat, say you got a stomach ache or something—the flipper was still the in the air. Fuck this!

Don’t listen, don’t overthink it, just do it. No thinking. Just do it—jump!

To Tom and Vicky’s surprise, I followed them in. Coldness took over as if breaking through ice, my whole body submerged before I bobbed back up. My lips were welded to the snorkel mouthpiece, remembering to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. It took a few seconds to get my breathing to calm down and let my body temperature regulate to the water.

Locks had already started swimming around, diving under, and erupting out of the water like a shark. The three of us waded around waiting for Locks to re-emerge from under the surface once more.

That’s it, control the breathing… the water isn’t cold, it’s warm, you are one with the sea, same temperature, and relaxed like the fishes down there. In through the nose, out through the mouth. That’s it.

It was working, I could feel the heart slowing down—there wasn’t any panic. Locks had appeared once more.

“Down here, spotted one but it’s gone, but there will be more.”