Today i was a dolphin.

Through the loud music pumping into my hears, i suddenly heard a commotion. Turning around i saw that a crowd had gathered by the banister, all peering into the ocean at some hidden sight. Roused from my seat, i edged closer to see what all the fuss was about. Among the exclamations of joy and surprise, i managed to make out one word - dolphins.

I felt excitement welling up inside of me. I had never seen a dolphin in real life before. However the banister was by now fully lined with people, all desperate to catch a glimpse of such a majestic animal in its natural habitat. Turning around, i decided to brave the fierce winds of the top observation deck, and was in turn rewarded with what was about to be one of the most profound moments of my life.

At first nothing could be made out except for the continuous ripples of the ocean and the trail of white foam that marked the passage of our boat. Then for a brief second, a fin appeared in the distance, slicing cleanly through the water like a knife parting paper. It was a barely perceptible ripple, but there was no doubt in my mind that this was caused by no mere wave. Tense moments passed, and no further signs seemed to disturb the ocean surface. Just as i was about to relinquish hope, a flawlessly streamlined body, perfected by millions of years of evolutionary design, exploded from the depths. It soared into the air with graceful ease before disappearing into the water once again.

The water surface erupted into activity. There had to be a dozen of them, weaving in and out of sight. A pair of them began to swim alongside the boat, their movements perfectly synchronised. Their bodies, the colour of the deepest oceans, seemed to glide effortlessly through the water, a stark contrast to the cumbersome motions of the boat. I was elated. Never before had i witnessed a sight so profoundly beautiful. This was nature in its purest, most pristine, unfiltered, undiluted, unpolluted form.

In that moment of raw beauty, i realised why i loved nature so much, why i strive to learn about it, why i worked so hard to protect it. All of my lifes problems disappeared, washed away by the ocean currents. They seemed so petty in the face of such majesty. Mesmerized, i stood there silently, unable to utter a single exclamation of joy or surprise. Only my eyes moved, greedily consuming every movement, every colour, every contour, locking it all away in the form of precious memories in the vault of my mind. No one will ever be able to take this away from me. I was there, a part of the moment, a part of nature. Today, i was a dolphin.