Research shows that a visit to Wakatobi can enhance your mental well-being.

Are we healthier and happier when we are around or in the water? There is an emerging school of scientific thought that supports the idea of the “blue mind.” This phenomenon is described as a mildly meditative state of calm unity and a sense of general well-being that is evoked when humans are near or in water.

Of course, this hardly comes as a surprise to those of us who dive and snorkel, especially when we do so at beautiful locations such as Wakatobi.

Research shows that the human brain prefers the color blue to all others, and that proximity to water increases the brain’s ability to focus. Photo by Glen Cowans

The Brain on Blue

The concept of the blue mind was first popularized by marine biologist Dr. Wallace Nichols. After devoting his early career to turtle research, Nichols became increasingly intrigued by the ways that the human mind interacts and connects with water, especially blue water. His subsequent research led to the publication of a best-selling book Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do.

“There are numerous cognitive and emotional benefits that we derive every time we spend time by water, in water, or underwater,” Nichols says. We are drawn to water, because we come from, and are still largely made of water, he adds. In fact, the human body is about 60 percent water, and the brain is 75 percent water. “When you see water, when you hear water, it triggers a response in your brain that you’re in the right place.”

Looking down into the shallows just off Wakatobi’s beach can trigger cognitive and emotional responses that suggest “you’re in the right place,” according to Nichol’s research. Photo by Walt Stearns

It’s a scientifically established fact that the atmosphere at a beach or on the ocean contains elevated levels of negatively charged ions. Research has shown that these ions cause the human brain to release mood-enhancing serotonin, and to reduce blood lactate levels. As neurologists and psychologists turned their attention to the effects of water environments on brain activity, they found scientific evidence that validates Nichols’ concepts of the blue mind.

“When you see water, when you hear water, it triggers a response in your brain that you’re in the right place.”  Dr. Wallace Nichols

Using imaging techniques such as CT, PET and MRI scans, researchers have shown that proximity to water will increase the levels of certain “feel-good” hormones such as dopamine and oxytocin within the human brain. At the same time, levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop. Equally interesting are indications that the human brain seems to prefer the color blue to all others, and that proximity to water increases the brain’s ability to focus. Additionally, being in or near the water amplifies the calming effect that is elicited when humans are in contact with the natural world.

The underwater world, in general, provides a predictable, calming setting, which induces a state of relaxed blue mind. Photo by Wakatobi Resort

The Pleasures of Red and Blue

In addition to the relaxed state of the blue mind, brain study has also identified an alternate state known as the red mind. When a person is in a state of red mind, they produce higher levels of stress hormones and place the brain on a higher state of alert. There are times when the red mind state is desirable, as it heightens survival instincts and provides the motivation needed to address demanding and difficult situations or to adapt to new and unfamiliar environments. What Nichols and other researchers find most interesting is that the interplay between blue mind and red mind states can occur when a human enters the water.

Just a brief surge of what is known as the ” red mind” can cause the brain to release dopamine, which creates a sense of surprise and novelty. Photo by Walt Stearns

In general, the underwater world provides a predictable and calming setting, which induces a state of relaxed blue mind. But as all divers and snorkelers know, the underwater realm is also an ever-changing place where the unexpected can appear at any given moment. Even in a relaxed state, some part of the brain continues to look for the unexpected. Unexpected events will trigger a brief surge of the red mind, causing the brain to release dopamine, which creates a sense of surprise and novelty.

Because bodies of water change and stay the same simultaneously, we experience both soothing familiarity and stimulating novelty.

In a recent interview, Nichols describes the interplay of red and blue mind that takes place near water. “In or near water, there’s a high degree of predictability,” he says. “The background we see is fairly controlled, which allows part of the brain to relax. Against that consistent background, the brain continues to search for something that wasn’t there before, since the essence of survival is the correct interpretation of things that don’t fit in the landscape. Because bodies of water change and stay the same simultaneously, we experience both soothing familiarity and stimulating novelty. This is regularity without monotony, the perfect recipe for triggering a state of involuntary attention in which the brain’s default network essential to creativity and problem-solving gets triggered.” This dreamy state of involuntary attention is a key characteristic of the blue mind.

Many guests suggest the blue mindset begins even before our guest flight lands, as our guests fly over the island of Onemobaa toward our landing strip and the resort. Photo by Didi Lotze

Blue Minds at Wakatobi

Can a visit to Wakatobi create a state of blue mind? The comments and memories that our guests share in many ways mirror Dr. Nichols’ findings. For guest Lisa Carroll, the blue mindset began even before she arrived at Wakatobi. “Looking over the ocean while flying in, and realizing we would explore this vast area, gave me the adventurous yet peaceful mindset for our trip,” she says. “Being in the ocean creates a sense of freedom and peace. It’s not just the weightlessness of being in the water, it’s the total experience of watching the marine life going about their daily activities and disconnecting from your own routines.”

“When I’m drifting with the current on a reef at Wakatobi, I feel relaxed and at peace with the world,” says guest Chim Carlson. Kathy Beech agrees. “The reefs and fish come in all colors of the rainbow and surrounding it all are the blues in every shade -from the deep indigos of the depths to the cobalt of the sky and turquoise of the shallows. That is what comes to mind when I close my eyes and think back to a dive.”