Stories from Bharat Darshan 3: Scooby Dooby Yaah!!

Scuba diving is always an exciting proposition for anybody loving adventure. Even the miniscule claustrophobic in me got overpowered by the curiosity and glamour of being underwater. The real thrill for me was to see the world lying there. So began the Scuba dive, somewhere in mid-January, in the tropical seas of Havelock Islands, Andamans.

     Nervousness dawned up on me before the dive. Once I put my head underwater, I didn’t feel comfortable. I got the urge of getting out of water. But once I could knock out this urge of my mind, it got better and better. Meanwhile the guide was trying to help me explore under water. We communicated through the sign language which he had instructed me before the dive. He helped me in being calm. That made me feel better.

     And then I could look around to find myself in between the vast, unending expanse of blueness. The azure scene was interrupted by planktons and corals, which seemed closer but eluded me as I tried to touch them. Elusive as if I am under some spell of enchantment.

     It was totally silent there. All I could hear was the sound of my own breath: the sound of life. I could feel the rhythm of breathing in my body movements. Breathing sound was in fact making me  comfortable. I don’t remember when I thought so much about my breathing before this.

     It felt peaceful inside the sea, totally distant from the outside world. It was a totally different world. At a certain depth, many fishes started freely moving around. They were totally undisturbed by my movements, may be they were habituated with Scuba divers. They teased by coming close, occasionally giving a feathery touch. As I went deeper, more fishes came closer, in all colours, all shapes.

     It was a good 20-25 minutes ride inside. That was enough to make me forget everything else. Even after getting out of the water, all I could think of was of the world under water. Outside beauty of Havelock Islands with all its greenery and beaches seemed nothing now. Even today I can picture that world full of fishes, planktons and corals. This was a scenic exhibition of the often ignored treasure called Nature…