It was one of those mornings where the horizon was painted with a gorgeous orange glow, a beautiful reminder that every day at the beach begins with a little magic.
Although there were a few familiar faces down at Manly Beach, it was noticeably quieter than usual. Many of my regular swimming companions were nowhere to be seen, but that’s the beauty of coming down to the beach – you never quite know who you’ll meet.
I bumped into Tina and, as so often happens at B&B, we found ourselves having one of those wonderful conversations about life. There is something about standing by the ocean at dawn that seems to invite meaningful conversations.
With the water sitting at a very pleasant 19 degrees, I decided that today was definitely a no-wetsuit day. I much prefer feeling the water directly on my skin whenever I can.
As I was getting ready to head in, I had the lovely surprise of bumping into Suzie, a newer face down at B&B whom I’ve recently got to know. Suzie asked if I would be her swimming buddy and, although I was a little hesitant, knowing the bumpy conditions would mean I wasn’t going to be particularly fast, I happily agreed.
Together we made our way through the humps and bumps of the ocean enjoying the adventure along the way. The visibility was incredible and, after some time out of the water, I felt so alive and genuinely happy to be back where I belong.
We swam past the shed and the pool, when I suddenly stopped after noticing a freediver descending below. I’ve learnt over time that freedivers can often provide a very good clue that something special is happening beneath the surface.
Sure enough, there it was- a giant cuttlefish, displaying all of its extraordinary magic. Mesmerised, I stayed watching this magnificent creature for quite some time. At one point, Suzie turned back towards me and I attempted to signal that there was a cuttlefish nearby. Unfortunately, she interpreted my enthusiastic underwater gestures as me saying that I was turning around! It definitely highlighted the need for some kind of underwater communication system for swimmers, perhaps wildlife cards or a universal set of animal signals.
I became so captivated by the cuttlefish that I never actually made it to Shelly Beach. By the time I had finished admiring this incredible creature, the rest of the group had already started their return swim. Thankfully, when Suzie came back towards me, she was able to see the cuttlefish too, and we were able to share in that special moment together.
The water was simply fantastic.
So don’t let the cold, the darkness, or the fear of bumpy conditions stop you from coming for a swim. You never regret getting in. Every swim leaves you feeling more alive.
And perhaps the greatest gift of all this morning wasn’t the spectacular sunrise or even the magical cuttlefish. It was meeting someone new, sharing stories, swimming side by side, and realising that today marked the beginning of another beautiful friendship within our wonderful Bold and Beautiful community.
💙 Deb x