For many, sharks are frightening and dangerous creatures. Their rows of razor sharp teeth and angry eyes seeking out prey are terrifying. But for scuba divers like science teacher Melody Spencer, seeing a shark can be the most memorable and exciting part of a trip.
Spencer said she has been scuba diving for 22 years, and she and her husband have traveled across the world to scuba dive. Among the places they have visited are Bali, Mexico, Hawaii, Belize, Turks and Caicos and Malaysia, she added.
Spencer and her husband snorkeled in Florida before being certified to dive, she said. Her husband was already certified, which she said inspired her to get her license in 2003. To get certified, she said she completed a week-long training including online classes, quizzes and tests.
“The class itself was not hard,” Spencer said. “You had to do multiple training dives in which you had to show different skills.”
Once she had passed the test, Spencer said she took additional classes to learn new skills and become an advanced open water diver. During these training sessions, Spencer explained she had to demonstrate skills like deep water diving and navigation.
Spencer said her favorite place that she has dived is the Lembeh Strait in Indonesia, where she saw countless creatures she hasn’t seen anywhere else such as brightly-colored sea slugs.
“It is known as mother nature’s weirdest three miles of ocean,” Spencer said.
Some animals Spencer has seen while diving include clownfish, sharks, manta rays and barracudas, as well as some smaller fish, she said.
“Sharks are always cool,” she said. “I know people run from them usually, but we go towards them.”
Spencer said she goes on a diving trip with her husband every summer. Their trips usually last two to three weeks and they dive as much as possible, she added.
The most difficult aspect of scuba diving is the travel, Spencer said, because scuba equipment takes up a lot of space and is difficult to take on flights.
In addition to carrying around luggage, Spencer said traveling to diving spots can be very time consuming. Her trip to Malaysia took five flights, a two hour car ride and an hour boat ride to arrive at the diving location, which took over 24 hours, she said. While on trips, Spencer said she has had the opportunity to meet people from around the world. She added she keeps in touch with everyone she befriends and discusses upcoming diving trips with them.
Spencer said she loves scuba diving because she can engage with the world around her, and she finds it to be a very relaxing hobby.
“You’re kind of in your own world,” she said. “There’s just so much to see and learn.”
Published and digitized October 2025
