Staring out into the expansive blue in front of her, junior Mckayla Barton takes a few deep breaths into her mask, watching the bubbles formed float past her. As she makes her way through the water with her diving partner, Barton is suddenly shoved back by the current. Her resistance is futile, the force too strong to oppose, and she is whisked away. Once she and her partner are able to safely leave the current, the two stumble across an astonishing sight: a huge Spotted Eagle Ray swimming right in front of them.
This is one of the most memorable moments in Barton’s four years of scuba diving. While she has seen plenty of stingrays, she had yet to see one that was so large and of a species she does not see very often. However, Barton says these kinds of surprises are typical on her dives as she never sees the exact same creatures every time.
“I love that every dive is a different experience,” Barton said. “The sea life is so diverse from what we see in our daily lives.”
Barton became interested in scuba diving because of her friends and family, who were already certified and recommended for her to go through the process as well. After receiving her certification, Barton has been able to go on dives throughout Florida, discovering new animals and exploring different habitats.
Yet, Barton’s journey to certification was not as simple as she had hoped. She first had to begin the process by taking lessons online, which once completed allowed her to start training in a small body of water. After she became familiar with the sign language, basic skills and gear, Barton was then taken out on an open water dive to review what she had learned.
“It was tiring,” Barton said. “Our certification sessions started very early in the morning, and they were often physically demanding because the water was rough with lots of strong currents. I started to dread it.”
Having no control over the conditions on her dives, Barton was often pushing herself to her limit in order to complete the tasks at hand to earn her certification. Still, she says the taxing environment was all worth it in the end, as she has continued to dive in her free time ever since.
Throughout the years, Barton has stumbled across sharks, stingrays, sea horses, sea turtles and even an octopus. The diverse sea life she has observed has contributed to her fascination with the ocean, as well as pushed her to overcome the challenges associated with scuba diving.
“It’s allowed me to put myself out there and go places that not many are willing to travel to,” Barton said.
Her participation in scuba diving has also affected her interests outside of the ocean, such as with her art. Barton often finds herself incorporating the animals she has seen into some of her pieces, as well as including certain features of them when creating fantastical creatures in her fictional work.
“I think the uniqueness of the animals and their colors play a part in why I sometimes draw them,” Barton said. “The ocean is just something that has shown up in my art repeatedly.”
Scuba diving has allowed Barton to be more aware of her surroundings and has even opened her up to different possibilities she could partake in later down the line.
“I’ve considered studying marine biology, not pursuing it as a career, but I just think that it would be good to have a deeper understanding of the environment,” Barton said.
Barton has access to the diverse environments and creatures she has seen because of Florida being a peninsula, meaning she can access the ocean in a multitude of places throughout the state. Because of these qualities, she encourages anyone who is interested in scuba diving to pursue their certification as well.
“If you do have the opportunity to learn to scuba dive, do it while you can because our area has beautiful sea life compared to many other places,” Barton said. “It’s definitely something you have to work for, but it will be fun in the end.”
This story was originally published in the May 2025 Eagle Eye print edition.
