“We headed towards the port side of the stern, and just as I was thinking we would never find it in the murk, it appeared out of the gloomy waters of the harbor like an apparition. I was told that the ship was covered in life, but I was still surprised to see the abundance of color that greeted me.”

“To be on the site of such devastation and terror, a final resting place for 1,177 lost lives, is to be in a state of introspection. I couldn’t help but wonder about the young sailors who fought for their lives on this exact spot, and whether they knew the global resonance of what happened that day.”

“I COULD NOT BELIEVE how clear the water was. I looked down, knowing that I was seeing a bottom which was at least 100 feet deep before dropping off into the blue abyss, but to me it seemed like it was only 20 feet below.”

“The 80-degree water of the pool felt cold as it rushed into my suit—I knew I was in for a big shock when I hit Crater Lake!”

“I only saw three lionfish throughout all my dives (very good), but I only saw a few fish larger than 12 inches on the reefs (not good).”