Life Underwater: a serene, slow-motion world, almost tranquil and unreal.
I remember during my first scuba diving experience I was half scared. The idea of leaving the world I knew and entering into something far more mysterious and oblivious was undoubtedly scary. And the fact that every cry, every yell, was only going to be left unheard underwater, was, moreover, alarmingly daunting.
For the first 5 minutes of my scuba experience, I did not take my eyes off my instructor and the other two fellow divers. They seemed to be my only hope. But as I slowly sank, listening to a louder ‘pop’ in my left ear, I began to take shape and come into focus.
Nearly 12 metres down in the depths of the Arabian Sea, the life I saw, existing and moving was magical.
I remember I stopped breathing for a minute — not out of fear but sheer awe and wonder. The world slowed as I tried to savour every moment, remembering every detail.
Life underwater, as I explored during my scuba diving experience, was more beautiful than I imagined, and the tranquillity was far unparalleled – something that I never found even in the most isolated, quarantined corners of the Himalayas.
In less than 40 minutes of our first dive, I was sure that this was more surreal than any city, any town, or any sunset, I had ever seen in life.
I saw uncountable fishes dancing in their ever-impressive formation. Candy-hued coral swayed underneath like a colourful Monet. Crabs were crawling across the seafloor, as the colourful parrotfishes appeared, out of sudden, eating algae off of coral reefs.
Life underwater is beautiful. And the many nameless fish – both tiny and moderate in size, zigzagging their way around you, make the entire scuba experience, even more magical, or fairy-tale-like, perhaps!
The discovery of a Pufferfish, who was almost ready to dispense her magic upon us, as I remember, was the highlight. At Suzy’s wreck – a 30 m-long World War ruin, the sheer amount of wildlife present was incredible. The discoveries were endless.
I cannot recommend WestCoastAdventures more highly for this experience. What could have been very intimidating and panic-inducing situations, they made safe and fun. It felt like diving with old friends.
One thing I particularly loved about them was that they took photos for me and gave them to me for free. Though I had my Underwater Action Camera with me, it was wonderful to have photos of myself underwater when I was the one behind the lens. So next time you visit Goa (I am sure you’re planning a trip around New Year) get yourself a little deeper than the shallow Goa beaches and experience something new.
Scuba Diving has also been a very memorable experience for me. Recently during my 1-week motorcycle trip across Malaysia, I happened to visit Langkawi Island where I stayed at a beautiful place surrounded by water. Though I did not scuba dive there and only tried paddleboarding, since I have done Scuba before I wasn’t scared of putting a snorkel and diving into the water.
The underwater life around Langkawi was magical.
Another place I loved underwater sealife was Pulau Macan in Jakarta. Again, I only did a bit of snorkelling there due to time constraints and already having a prepaid set itinerary. But had I gotten a chance to scuba dive, I would have done that. Experiencing life underwater is a magical thing and I recommend you not miss it whenever you get a chance.
Most people also recommend Andamans or Lakshadweep for a similar experience though I haven’t been there yet. Additionally, I can recommend Murudeshwar over Goa for learning Scuba Diving because of better visibility. The same company I tried within Goa organised experiences in Murudeshwar too.
If you are scared of a similar Scuba diving experience then let me tell you that you have no reason to be. Read about the common Scuba Diving Myths here and find out how most of the scary news about it is just a myth. Remember, it is not risky!
And if you still lack the motivation to do it, read these Motivating Travel Quotes I’ve handpicked for you!
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