Welcome to Exploring the Ocean.
Hello,
I am Andy.
In the next few minutes,
We'll close our eyes and imagine a trip into the ocean,
Where all kinds of fish and plant life are waiting for you to discover them.
Don't worry,
You won't need to hold your breath or even know how to swim,
Since we're going there in our minds,
Our imagination.
If you like this story,
Please check Inside Timer for other stories from me.
Now,
Before we explore the depths of the ocean,
Let's take time to get comfy.
Lay down in your bed or wherever you feel comfortable right now.
Snuggle up to your soft blanket or cuddly stuffed toy,
If you have one.
Now just think about your body.
Let's get cozy and comfortable.
Ready to deeply relax.
Just wiggle around till you feel just right.
Notice how it feels to lay down.
Your head feeling heavier on the pillow,
Your back sinking heavily into the bed,
And your arms and legs weighing down your body into the bed under you.
You are safe here.
As you breathe now,
Relaxing,
Just notice as your chest rises softly with each breath in and drops softly with each breath out.
Take a few deep breaths in and slightly longer,
Slow breaths out.
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Just notice your breathing and be sure to close your eyes.
Now's the time for your imagination to see and hear our swim into the deep ocean.
Swim into the deep ocean.
Tonight you have special superpowers and you can swim quickly and you can even breathe underwater.
You are comfortable and safe.
We begin with a walk along the white sandy beach on a warm sunny summer day.
The sand feels soft under your feet and between your toes as you walk closer to the waves.
You see a large leatherback sea turtle also wobbling its way to the salty water,
About to depart on its own ocean journey.
Its fins push sand aside as its heavy shell body slides ever closer to the ocean.
Seabirds are flying overhead,
Squawking things only birds understand.
They're swooping up and down in the gentle breeze as the waves brush the shore.
Then down in the gentle breeze as the waves brush the shore.
At times the birds dive from high above and straight down into the water trying to catch tiny fish for lunch.
Along the shore where the waves are frothing white and gently sweeping the sand,
You see a little orange crab crawling sideways and a tiny starfish is moving its five outstretched arms just under the shallow water at the edge of the ocean.
With your special superpowers during this story time,
You are able to walk into the ocean and begin swimming below the waves.
The superpowers in the story allow you to breathe under water just for the story time.
In the distance you see that large sea turtle again.
The turtle looks back at you,
Remembers you,
And waves its flippers for you to join.
And so you follow,
Swimming out into the ocean deeper and deeper.
Soon you and the sea turtle are joined by three dolphins and you swim deeper still.
The dolphins are playful,
Swimming up and down,
Almost playing a game of tag with each other.
And they spin quickly as they soar toward the surface of the ocean,
Shooting above the waves for a moment before diving back into the water.
As the dolphins swim further away,
You notice colourful patterns in the distance and you swim toward it.
As you approach,
You recognize it to be a coral reef.
You're amazed that the rainbow of colours,
Red,
Green,
Blue,
And more,
Slowly comes into focus as shapes you know.
A variety of little fish swimming together like a cloud in motion.
An orange-tinted octopus,
You can count all eight arms.
And then a pink and purple jellyfish slowly hops by,
Seemingly bouncing up and down as it follows the ocean current.
And you even see a greyish,
Friendly-looking shark.
They're all swimming around in a colourful mix of seagrasses and coral.
So much life is here.
Though coral reefs make up just a small part of the ocean,
They're home to a large number of all living fish and plants in the ocean.
You stop swimming over the coral for a few minutes to watch all the life here.
The coral reef and sponge corals are a great place to spend a few minutes.
The coral reef and sponge corals are also home to tiny creatures,
Sometimes peeking out of their miniature shells.
The little creatures stick their heads out of their tiny shells,
Then hide.
Stick their heads out,
Then hide again.
You imagine they're playing an ocean game of hide and seek.
Now the sea turtle catches your attention once more,
As it waves its flippers,
Inviting you to come along.
And you do.
You continue to discover amazing sights during your swim.
A giant squid sails by overhead as you follow your turtle friend,
Its long fins stretching below its body as it swims by.
Stretching below its body as it sweeps its way through the ocean.
You also pass by an area where the rocks along the ocean's bottom reveal a cave.
And in it,
You see a magical light show.
Very tiny creatures that shine in the dark,
Creating their own light,
Or to use a very big word,
Bioluminescence.
Up above,
A school of mackerel looks like a silvery cloud,
Blocking the sunshine for only a few seconds.
And then you see the largest ocean creature of all.
In fact,
The largest creature in the whole world.
It's a blue whale,
And it slowly arches its gigantic body as it gracefully travels through the ocean.
This huge,
Gentle animal is longer than a jet plane,
And is heavier than two school buses.
The whale rises up to the surface,
And a large blast of water jets out from the spout on the surface.
And then,
It lands on the top of its head.
Now the whale continues to sail away,
Calling out to other blue whales that may be far,
Far away.
You can see the sun above the ocean waves has now lowered to the west,
And the sky is becoming a fuzzy,
Pale orange.
As the sun sets,
You think it is best to return home now.
Once on the sandy shore,
You yawn.
You're very tired now.
And you know that sleep tonight will be filled with fond memories of this awesome tour of the seas.
Arriving home,
You get ready for bed.
And for a restful,
Deep sleep.
Remembering your time exploring the ocean,
And knowing there will be more fun days just like this one.
Relax where you lay now.
You are safe and comfortable in your bed.
And with each breath in,
And each breath out,
You let go of the day,
Ready now for pleasant,
Sweet dreams.
Sleep well,
My friend.
