Sandpoint High School junior Anna Auld enjoys a sport unusual to the Sandpoint area. Underwater diving involves the thrilling excitement of getting to experience underwater life that one can’t see on the surface. Auld has been diving for two years and got her Advanced Open Water certification in 2019 in Lake Coeur d’Alene. The inspiration for Auld to start diving originated from a few different places. Auld’s family has been diving their whole lives, her grandpa is even licensed as a master diver and used to instruct Navy Seals on the skill. So when the opportunity came up to become a certified diver, Auld jumped at the opportunity and has loved it ever since.

“Being 100 feet underwater is pretty surreal; all you can see around you is blue: the surface has long disappeared and the only reference available is the sand or maybe some fish.” says Auld. 

Only being certified for a few years Auld has only had the chance to dive in Lake Coeur d’Alene and the Florida Keys. She plans to dive in Puget Sound, Thailand, and the Dominican Republic in the near future.

From her recent diving in the Florida Keys, Auld has found that she enjoys exploring shipwrecks the most. She came across one that presented a great metal arch intertwined with vibrant corals and home to tons of sealife.

 “Being able to watch the relationship between the different fish, coral, and other animals that were all sharing and benefiting from a common habitat created from what we would refer to as a tragedy was eye opening.” Auld said. 

As well as watching the interaction between sea-life 100 feet below the surface, another aspect of the ocean that absolutely amazes Auld is “the fauna of the ocean is unlike anything one would see on land it is beautiful, new, and unique.”

Auld after finding her new passion underwater, is excited to keep exploring sea-life and learn more about the skill. Other Sandpoint High School Students interested in becoming certified in scuba diving can follow Auld’s path to certification, and head to Lake Coeur d’Alene to enjoy the lifelong thrilling activity of scuba diving.