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A leap into the unknown. That’s exactly how I fell when I dived into a coral reef for the first time in my life at my 35th birthday in Red Sea, close to Hurghada, Egypt. A burst of colors and life in front of my eyes. A shock of joy and happiness, I could hardly breathe. And then a big parrotfish came, absolutely friendly and smiley, almost said ‘hello’. I remember the purple. Never before had I experienced such a deep and vivid purple in nature as in there. The corals. A true masterpiece. So delicate, so fragile. I remember my true concern not to harm the ecosystem with my fins. To be gentle, to become a fish. Because that’s what I was down there. I was a fish. I was an underwater creature. I was part of the ocean…and then an octopus, dancing and playing seek and hide, and then a stingray, almost flying and waving its polka dots fins. No sound. Only breathing. When I went up on the boat, a man with disabilities was being prepared to go down. And I thought how liberating this sport can be for such people. And also how educative for the younger generation. A true connection with the sea and the challenges arising from the climate change. For me, it was a beginning of a new life, a happy one.