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BARE The Adventure Contest Runner Up: Andrew Olsen

By Scuba Diving Partner | Updated On January 30, 2017
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BARE The Adventure Contest Runner Up: Andrew Olsen

Andrew Olsen Tallman, New York We were driving on a winding road on the coast of Guam looking for Bile Bay. It was dark out and the moon was hidden behind the clouds, making the night seem almost impossible to see through. As we parked in the grass just off the road, we were all unsure of the dive ahead of us. Down a short hill and through some thin woods, the water met the land. With our gear on our backs and lights in our hands, we all looked at each other quickly as if to say, “It was nice knowing you!” We stepped into the ankle-deep water and after taking 10 steps the guy in front came to a sudden stop. There was the drop-off. It went from ankle-deep water to 60 feet deep in one step — like an underwater canyon. First guy jumps in, then the next and then I follow. When we’re all ready, we give each other the hand signal and begin our descent. I can see nothing but the chem lights tied to the tanks of my dive buddies. At about 50 feet, we all turn on our lights, point in the direction we want to go and start moving slowly. We swim through many cracks and crevices and suppress our urge to explore small underwater caves. We pass by big-eyed squirrelfish hiding behind corral. I see the reflection of light in the eyes of hundreds of small shrimp perched on the coral around us. Black sea urchins with a slight blue hue are wedged in little craters. Suddenly, we swim upon a sleeping sea turtle. We startled it with our lights, and it frantically swims away. As we swim on we pass by a beautiful black-and-white-striped lionfish. After about 50 minutes of diving, we are low on air and we all decide to head back. As we get closer to that drop-off point, an eagle ray comes gliding out of the dark. Everyone was ecstatic about the entire dive experience and the journey to find the spot. I knew that night would be one of the most memorable in the many dives I plan to do.

Andrew Olsen Tallman, New York We were driving on a winding road on the coast of Guam looking for Bile Bay. It was dark out and the moon was hidden behind the clouds, making the night seem almost impossible to see through. As we parked in the grass just off the road, we were all unsure of the dive ahead of us. Down a short hill and through some thin woods, the water met the land. With our gear on our backs and lights in our hands, we all looked at each other quickly as if to say, “It was nice knowing you!” We stepped into the ankle-deep water and after taking 10 steps the guy in front came to a sudden stop. There was the drop-off. It went from ankle-deep water to 60 feet deep in one step — like an underwater canyon. First guy jumps in, then the next and then I follow. When we’re all ready, we give each other the hand signal and begin our descent. I can see nothing but the chem lights tied to the tanks of my dive buddies. At about 50 feet, we all turn on our lights, point in the direction we want to go and start moving slowly. We swim through many cracks and crevices and suppress our urge to explore small underwater caves. We pass by big-eyed squirrelfish hiding behind corral. I see the reflection of light in the eyes of hundreds of small shrimp perched on the coral around us. Black sea urchins with a slight blue hue are wedged in little craters. Suddenly, we swim upon a sleeping sea turtle. We startled it with our lights, and it frantically swims away. As we swim on we pass by a beautiful black-and-white-striped lionfish. After about 50 minutes of diving, we are low on air and we all decide to head back. As we get closer to that drop-off point, an eagle ray comes gliding out of the dark. Everyone was ecstatic about the entire dive experience and the journey to find the spot. I knew that night would be one of the most memorable in the many dives I plan to do.