Beauty of the sea prompt

As the sun began to rise above the horizon, Jane stood just before the shore, watching the waves push forward and pull back along the sand. She didn’t know much about the ocean, only that it was quite vast, almost endless, and home to many creatures who lurked beneath the crashing waves. 

After donning her protective underwater exploration gear, Jane ventured into the water, albeit hesitant due to the strange feeling of water surrounding her. As soon as she was unable to feel her paws on the sea floor she immediately panicked and embarrassingly flailed her arms about until she felt as if she was stable enough again. Despite her initial sudden fright, it was quite pleasant to feel almost weightless in the water.

Jane soon found herself in a dense kelp forest, long strands of kelp rising above her like emerald towers reaching towards the sun. As Jane gently swam through the forest, it seemed to dance along with the movement of the water. It seemed this area wasn’t as populated with life as one may believe; however, it was still a pretty sight. Iridescent Octorbs and Violet Shiny Squids went about their routine in life, although some saw Jane as a threat, hiding behind the kelp. Some seahorse-like creatures also made their presence known, different sizes of said seahorses curling their tails around different sizes of kelp. These little critters were almost ghost-like, casting a soft light throughout the forest that gave it a somewhat spectral glow. Jane had some thoughts about grabbing one and keeping it as a pet, as it does get lonely in her little home, however other thoughts in her head believed that it would just be cruel to take such a creature from their home.

As Jane exited the kelp forest, the ocean floor was an almost 90 degrees drop down, startling Jane and causing her to suddenly pause. Any attempts to see what was below were of no use as a dark fog obscured any vision of what could possibly be down there. The sense of pure curiosity, however, took over the sense of dread that would usually come from what appears to be a giant pit. After a giant artificial deep breath to steel her nerves, Jane slowly and carefully swam down into the fog, closing her eyes. 

Around a minute passed as Jane kept her eyes tightly shut as she strongly believed that some giant creature would come and swallow her whole any moment now. Luckily, that moment never came, and it was completely safe to look around, which Jane eventually realised. She tilted her head down and saw something strange yet mesmerising.

Below her was a giant coral reef, but not what one may consider to be ‘regular.’ This coral reef seemed to stretch on for miles and miles, resting on the ocean floor as a swirling fractal formation, a visual symphony of colour stretching beyond what the eye could see into smaller and more complex versions of itself. More specifically, this coral reef in particular curled into an end point, somewhat like a seahorse tail, and yet still seemed infinite. A ‘Mandelbrot Set’ Jane believed it to be called, but she didn’t quite know if she was correct nor where she remembered that term. No matter the technical term for what she was seeing, it all seemed almost impossibly geometrical or even otherworldly. But at the same time, it was all so natural, as if it were the ocean’s own masterpiece created over millennia.

The colours itself were vibrant and dynamic, a spectrum that stretched from the deepest blues to the most dazzling reds. These colours came together to paint a seascape consisting of a rainbow of hues. The calm and gentle currents of the ocean sway the coral reefs, making them dance similarly to the kelp forest Jane had travelled through earlier as if it were a large choreography arranged by the waves. Polished pieces of sea glass decorated the reef, as well as the whimsical formations of ear coral and the unique shapes of sand currencies.

As Jane approached the coral reef, it felt like she was wandering through a giant underwater labyrinth, every turn revealing something new. It was quite easy to get lost in such a place, but luckily for Jane, her underwater gear also had a navigation tool so that she wouldn’t get too lost. Anywhere she looked, Jane saw different animals going about their day, from Betta Testers to shark-like creatures with fins that flowed behind them like ribbons to manta-rays with patterns that mimicked fish swimming above her. Other fish hid in wiggling anemones, and sea stars clung onto the coral for a place to rest and live. The reef was not just eye candy but a sanctuary for the ocean’s inhabitants, all moving in harmony with the water’s ebb and flow.

Jane admired the living mosaic in front of her. It was a surprise as to how such an ecosystem could carry on after the apocalypse, a memory that sent an unpleasant shiver throughout her casing and core. Perhaps it didn’t affect their way of things as much as it did other Amicas, or maybe that dark fog she had to traverse through was some sort of protection. So many thoughts ran through Jane’s head, but she’d personally rather think about them on dry land, or not at all.

After gazing over the sight for a little while longer, Jane eventually turned to leave and go back the way she came. Of course, not without some little souvenirs she could take back home! She reached her lower set of hands down, gently picking up some sea glass as well as some sunken coins that were hidden away. Clutching them close to her body, she began her journey back to the shore, visiting the kelp forest and their inhabitants once again.

Jane made it back onto the beach, and it was roughly midday by the time she emerged from below the waves. Turns out it’s easy to lose track of time when exploring. She took off her exploration gear before looking down to the sea glass and coins she collected, then back over to the evermoving ocean.

Perhaps she’d go back down and visit the reef again someday. She began to miss it already.