Introducing Wild Waters
An ocean swimming journal, full of wonder, salt and soul.
I don’t remember how old I was when I first learned to swim. Or when I first saw the ocean. I only know that I have always been in the water, and it is to the water I turn at all the important times in my life. Celebrations, social activities, swimming races, holidays. And in times of fight or flight, when my nervous system is working overtime to protect me (and has confused itself about whether or not I do, actually, need protecting) my mind turns to the ocean to find stillness.
The sound of the ocean soothes my restless soul
- Israel Kamakawiwo’ole -
Sometimes, this takes the form of a visual meditation: I imagine the sound of a gentle wave tumbling onto the shore. The scent of fresh, briny air; the grit of sand beneath my feet. I remember the calm and am calmed again.
Other times I can find the time for a physical immersion. Swimming cap and goggles on, I dive beneath the surface of my favourite lagoon and find a rock to anchor myself below the surface.
In these moments there is peace.
The only movement comes from the motion of the water around me. I close my mind to the anxious chatter and fill it with the clicks and squeaks and swooshes of the wild waters around me. I stare at the fish, who stare back at me, and I watch the seaweed dance. I grip that rock until my lungs are screaming then I let go and kick, kick, kick to the surface, bursting free to draw in a huge gulp of air. Not for the first time, I wish I had gills.
I float for a few moments until my breathing calms then one, two, three, deep breath and down I go again. I swim and duck dive like this until my brain is calm and my body is tired, and I have to make my way back to shore.
I am grateful for the ocean and for being lucky enough to live so close to it.
When it seems like humanity is willfully ignoring what it knows in its heart, and the power of money overwhelms the power of love, I call upon the sea to calm me more frequently, and I find myself wanting to give back to it. And I want to share this joy I have for ocean swimming.
Welcome to Wild Waters.
A place for ocean swimmers, ocean lovers, and those curious about the power and majesty of the sea. It’s a journal of salty wonders, swimming adventures, fiction and non-fiction writings, and, eventually, interviews, science, and activism. Because learning about the state of our marine ecosystem and finding ways to protect it is the best way I can show my gratitude for the environment that gives me so much.
Over the coming weeks I’ll share more about what to expect from Wild Waters, including subscriber and founding subscriber perks, what’s available for free, and the first collection of ocean swimming good stuff. If you’re super keen you can subscribe now at the link below. I hope you’ll join me for the journey, and remember:
You never regret a swim
Katie x