So we're at an aquarium, on some type of field trip.

The guide is telling us something about how the whale shark lives in a sort of symbiosis with the giant squid. And that the temperature and acidity of their environments is kept in balance by some biological feedback loop.

The guide demonstrates that by increasing the temperature of the tank (a tank large enough to house both a whale shark and giant squid, mind you). At the same time, she dials up a robotic vehicle with a camera on it, and starts piloting it around the tank. She follows around the whale shark for a while, and eventually pilots the robot around to the whale shark's mouth, which has some non-obvious indicator of the immediate affects of the temperature change.

"Alright, so that's on a screen, but who wants to see it for themselves? Let's get changed, and meet me in the tank."

My stomach sinks, as my fears of water, suffocation, and large, benthic creatures kick into gear.

I wake up, just as I dive underwater and start to feel short of breath.