The "The Sea Casts Its Spell" Story

Foreword:  The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever  -  Jacques Cousteau

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at all the fantastic underwater photos that Tom McDowell sent to me the other day.  I met Tom during a visit to the Turks and Caicos Islands last year.  

Randy (left) and Tom ready for a dive.

 Tom and his friend Randy both worked for Verizon and retired about the same time.  They both love scuba diving, but both their wives are afraid of flying, so they travel together every year to Randy's condo at Ocean Club Resort in Provo on beautiful Grace Bay.  

Coral as photographed by Tom

 It is there that I met Tom one day as he wondered around the grounds with his camera in hand and that special look in his eye.  For almost two weeks I talked with Tom and Randy about their exploration of the reefs off the coast of Provo.  One evening while eating at the Ocean Club outdoor restaurant Tom sat down next to Carol and I, as well as our traveling buddies Jerry and Just Sue, and showed us a slide show of the underwater world off the beach of Grace Bay.  

Casting the spell of the sea.

 Amazing!!  I have kept in touch with both Randy and Tom and recently Tom sent me a nice email telling me to check out some of his diving photos from this past summer and early fall.  www.tommcdowell.net  is full of photos with a short story about how Tom got started and about the equipment he uses.  Check it out if you enjoy underwater photography or photos of the ocean and beach.  I have included a few of Tom's many photos that he has posted on his site, dating back to pre-2008.  They include beach, underwater and nature photos.  Enjoy!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.