Deep in the Ocean

One a spring afternoon, I was at the coast of Havelock island which is a part of India’s Andaman Islands. I could feel the excitement mingled with chilling nervousness when the skilled personage maneuvered me towards the ocean.

The water was warm only on the surface under the effect of sun’s heat but it was all cold inside sending chills throughout my body as I went farther inside the water. I have never been under the sea up to the chest level and yet I had to go deeper. I wondered, as the waves of water splashed against my neck.

When my guide hauled me towards the increasing depth, the thought of burying my head in the water sent me a chilling sensation. But when you have chosen scuba diving, you cannot scream at such a drastic change of environment.

What if the water happens to gush in from the edges of the oxygen mask leaving me no time for escape? What if I happen to confront a whale or a crocodile? What if a tsunami strikes the ocean, and I lose connection with my guide? All kinds of negative thoughts were riveting my mind. But my guide, a native of the Andaman, studying my worrisome expression gestured to me to focus on deep breathing. I followed suit.

1…2…3…phew!

I blinked my eyes a few times to see through the thick diving glasses sticking to my eyes. From inside, the sea looked like a blue hazy mysterious paradise. Everything seemed dull yet magnified.

I was asked not to make any unnecessary movements lest it should attract any whale, in case. Hovering over me, the guide was holding the hose of my oxygen cylinder to pull me along.

My body was in an ultra conscious state. The mere thought of being fully submerged under water was scary as hell. But I would get distracted whenever my guide gestured towards the various aquatic forms we were passing by.

Once, he pointed towards something like a green structure. As I approached closer, I found there were tiny green nodules all over the rocky surface which was a mesmerizing sight. I guessed them to be coral reefs. I touched them to find they were soft and slithery (which was not a pleasant feeling!).

Then, using the sign language (which I just learned before the session), he asked me if I was okay. I gestured a ‘yes‘ by showing a thumbs up though I was still apprehending the worst. One small glitch, and I am dead deep in the ocean!

But when I pulled all my senses to relax, my body felt light freely swaying with the ease of a feather.

As I ventured through, things felt peaceful which I took as the sign of my newly developed kinship with the aquatic world. It was when I realized the presence of a consistent rumbling sound of water. It was the roar of the ocean.

I happened to see a bunch of tiny yellow fishes crossing my way. Those were clown fishes. I took it as a welcome sign. I touched one of them as they swept by swiftly. Funny that they were no less slippery than the green corals!

Next, I witnessed the concrete pipe-like stems projecting like a plant from the ocean bed. They must be the white corals. My guide once again gestured for me to feel the surface which was covered with ferns. This time, I was taken aback when the delicate spines drooped in response. He grinned as I retracted my hand impulsively and moved me forward.

With increasing depth, the water was getting colder that made my body shiver. Even the pain in my ears increased to a point it felt they will explode inside out. With the hand gesture, the guide asked me if I was alright. This time also, I showed him thumbs up because I wanted to explore more.

In sometime, I felt as if my feet touched upon something.

It was then I realized that I had been journeying downwards throughout. As I glanced on the surface below, I found it was the Ocean floor laden with white sand to an infinite stretch. It looked no different from the surface of the moon with an exception of dead corals and shells. It was a beautiful sight.

So finally, I was in the pit of the ocean. Wow!

It was an unforgettable moment and a glorious triumph. Any tears that came out of extreme emotions would have got dissolved in the salty water, I mocked at myself.

I sat there for sometime in a crouched position with only my toe lightly touching the surface. It was a different world indeed. A completely different ecosystem. I wondered what the life of all aquatic animals would be like? How normal is it for them to do everything and basically remain under water lifelong? Perhaps, the same as what we feel above water.

By the end of the session, which was about 15 minutes, my ears drums felt beaten so hard that they could burst any moment. Coincidentally, at the very time, my guide started hauling me upwards hinting the end of my scuba session.

I had to bid bye to this beautiful place but I have the memories captured in the form of the video below. Please watch…