Listening to the Ocean

As a young child, South African Jessica Pitta loved playing in the ocean, but at the age of 11, she lost her sight to a brain tumor, leaving her legally blind. This didn't stop her, at the age of 21, from certifying as PADI's first South African blind scuba diver. Instead of seeing things, she listens to the ocean; as many of us are aware, it can be pretty noisy down there. She uses her heightened hearing and muscle memory to dive fearlessly, and she focuses on the sounds. She says everything, from corals to octopuses, from fish to seagrasses, has its own unique sound.

It was a strange "crackling" that first made her feel as if she was "in the middle of a stadium." "It was the weirdest sensation ever," she said in a video. Over the next few years, she learned to distinguish the difference between a parrotfish chomping hard coral and the popping sounds made by fish nearby. She could even make out the subtle sound fish made with their fins as they glided by.

Scuba diving has given her independence and confidence after her loss of vision at first left her in a dark, depressing zone. She is now a psychology teacher and motivational speaker. And take a lesson from Jessica. During each dive, stop and listen. You'll be surprised at what you hear. www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6TAoISwL6I