I nodded and readjusted my mouthpiece, blowing air through the pipe before dipping my face back in the ocean. Jon and Neil dove, and I followed Heather as she swam through the water with strong arms. The force of the salt water was unbelievable—I got down to where I could feel a little pressure on my eardrums before I was forced back up. Blowing the water out of my tube, I tried again, this time kicking harder. As I approached Jon, he waved and pointed at the pink coral. He gripped a rock with his other hand. So that’s how he could stay under for a minute.
They were still a few feet below me, but I had caught a glimpse of the coral, so I let myself be jettisoned to the surface once more. Proud of myself for spewing the water out of my breathing tube, I continued along the reef in the dire
