I fell in love with the ocean the first time I saw it in 1984 in Los Angeles, CA.  I became obsessed with it.  My folks and I went on a vacation there and we went to the Scripps Institute in San Diego.  That began my love affair with sharks.  I read all of the books I could find and took my own notes on things I read.  This was WAY before the internet of course.  I was first certified in diving in 1990 and took my first ocean dive in the Dominican Republic off of Sosua Beach.  I was so awed at how clear the water was and how colorful the fish were.  Pictures and TV didn't do it justice.  I've spent some time with sea lions off of the Santa Barbara islands and a couple of dives and snorkel adventures in Hawaii.  After a few years absence and life getting the way, I finally got recertified and can't wait to begin my new adventures.