Down in the Deep Blue Sea

Alex – future deep sea biologist

Once we got past the depths of the Mariana Trench, my team and I celebrated as we just found the new, deepest point in the ocean. Then our cheers were interrupted by a loud "THUD". I rushed to the window. My mouth dropped open. Every molecule in my body froze. Silence.

"What is it?" said a crew member. I turned around and struggled to say a word. started to say "Meg" when I was interrupted by another "THUD" as razor sharp teeth clamped down on the submarine.

"Megalodon," I said right before more teeth caved in part of our sub. Soon the submarine was filled with water. That is when I passed out.

I woke up on a life raft about 1/2 mile from shore. The crew and I lived to tell the tale.

It is daydreams like these that make me want to be a deep sea explorer. To become one I would need to take deep sea biology, nautical science and marine engineering in case there are any issues with the ship or sub that need to be fixed while out exploring. In addition, I would need to be a certified scuba diver.

School wise, I'm looking into the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) which offers a major in deep sea biology. They are one of the few places to go if you want to be a deep sea biologist.

My initial interest in deep sea biology happened when I came across an online video about how deep the ocean is and I became even more intrigued when I saw the Megalodon display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. After that, I started going more and more in-depth with the topic, learning about ocean life and ocean exploration.

Maybe one day that daydream won't be a daydream and I will uncover a real, living Megalodon.