The Scuba Toddler Mystery

I only stepped out of our hotel room for a few minutes, trusting my husband to keep an eye on our two-year-old while they watched Shark Week. When I came back, our son was proudly standing in the middle of the room, decked out in a full child-sized scuba outfit—flippers, goggles, snorkel, air tank, the works. My husband, completely unfazed, explained that our curious little explorer had wandered into the kids’ activity room downstairs and chosen the outfit during an underwater-themed dress-up session.

Turns out, the outfit was part of a family tradition for a high-profile guest whose relatives owned a local boat rental company. While the hotel staff was kind, it became clear that certain guests expected a different level of attention. No one blamed us directly, but we definitely sensed a ripple of quiet tension. Our son’s innocent joy had, unintentionally, nudged the invisible social order among the regulars.