Seeing the coral reef through Scuba diving

Being a passionate adventure enthusiast for Three decades and having ascended many peaks in the Himalayas on foot and on mountain bike was wondering what is in store for me  to do more and one fine day I found myself watching the movie “ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DUBARA” in the year 2011 and was enthused to take to skies and silently quit Mysore city without telling anybody, where I was going and did sky diving in the vibrant Gujarat and came back with a thumping contentment that a distant dream is accomplished says Mr. Tiger Solanki 

Having explored mountains many times the inclination to explores the shores of the sea was haunting me so one fine day I along with my two morning walkers in Kukarhalli lake Mr. Shiva Swamy and Mr.Mahaveer Jain were contemplating to hit the shores of the Andaman and Nicobar Island and explore the possibility of doing something different in the Christmas vacation.

The hunt for the program started with Mr.Shiva Swamy took the initiative to do the research of what activities can be done and what all can be explored when we visit the island which is  known as “Kala Pani” a cellular jail which serves as a national monument now. 

Having done some soul searching the trio decided to go, but day by day many of them also evinced interest and karthik too was one of the aspirant to go but was little apprehensive about the feature of the program when told by Tiger Solanki but never the less I spoke to his parents and to principal Mr.Satya Prasad and who were more than encouraging and he along with twelve more people landed in their group to explore the shores.

It all began on 24^th Dec 2013, when we all boarded the shatabdi express to Chennai and were housed in K K Nagar & was all excited to board the flight for Port Blair & when I landed my expectation had new bounds to reach out and see outside the airport, it was quite calm and serene. 

We all went and checked into the hotel and the hunt for the program started with Ms Aleida D'souza, tour manger briefing us about the itinerary in the island. 

The same day we visited the national monument “Cellular jail” a place where our freedom fighters like late Shri Veera Savarkar were jailed under the   British regime. Jailor David Barry was the person who brought two hundred rebels of the freedom movement to this cellular jail. We heard the history which was narrated in the form of Sound and light show and the language interpretation is so crystal clear, I wish the Mysore palace authorities at least try to replicate the language. So that tourist coming from the different places can understand the language interpreted.

Next day we visited the Zonal Anthropological museum, Aquatic centre and boarded the most awaited M V Makruzz Cruise to Havelock to explore the beaches, like Radha Nagar, Elephant, Neil Island, Laxmanpur, Bharathpur beaches. The pristine clean water was just like dream come true for all of us say Ms. Pooja AS of Vidya Ashram.

Scuba Diving: The most awaited and fascinating part of the itinerary was scuba diving says Mr.Karthik KM of Vijaya Vittla PU College. Being just sixteen of years of age, the sword of “Tippu sultan” was hanging on my head, whether will I be permitted to dive. But alas! When tiger Solanki broke the news that anybody above the age group of 14 years of age were permitted to dive. His happiness knew no bound.

Instructions: The instructor from the Barefoot started pouring and it was nothing less than sign language and which is very easy to learn for anybody says Miss Arpitha Suresh Babu of Perth, Australia.

D-day: The Most awaited moment of my life was nearing and also the anxious moments as we wear the equipment and the mask and the oxygen cylinder is mounted on the body and we do the drill as shown by the instructors and after we gain the confidence of the breathing then they take you for the dive.

Coral and Aquatic Life: If somebody says! What is the best thing you have ever done in life? Having done Sky diving, and many such adventure sports, but I think seeing the coral life and seeing different colours of fishes in the water is one of the best experience one can encounter in his life time says Mr.Solanki DSD 

As though our quench for seeing the coral and aquatic life was not satisfied, we again went to the North Bay and dived once again under the aegis of Blue Planet and believe it or not friends the quench for the scuba diving will never end, the more you do it the more it demands that is the experience says Dr.Shravya Chabbu of J S S Medical College.

The team comprised of fifteen members drawn from Mysore, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

The team members are : Mr.Karthik KM, Dr.Shravya, Miss Arpitha, Mrs.Kalai, Mr.Nagesh, Mr Hutchaiah, Mrs.Arunakshi, Mr.Sivagnanam, Mr.Aditya, Mr.Ajay, Mrs.Thenmozhi, Mahaveer, Ms.Pooja AS and Mr.Solanki DSD

Article by Mr.Solanki D S D