World Ocean Day: Just keep swimming

On world ocean day, people who spend the most amount of time in and under the water, share what the ocean means to them

Seventy-one percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water and while we have explored the deepest reaches of the oceans, there remains a lot of mystery around it. On World Ocean Day today (June 8), we speak to some ocean enthusiasts who have made diving into the deepest, darkest depths their profession.

A scuba diver swims in the ocean surrounded by corals (facebook)

When Anirudh Hegde, a commercial diver and scuba instructor went scuba diving the first time, he realised he wanted to make a career out of this. He says, “After I came back onboard, I told my parents ‘this is who I want to be, a diver.’ It just felt like ME.”

Deepak Gupta

The love humans have for the deep blue ocean and all the life it holds, is well documented in several docu-series and movies such as Shark Tale (2004), Finding Nemo (2003) and Moana (2016) to name a few. Singer-songwriter and a diving enthusiast, Deepak Gupta, too, was inspired by “watching underwater and marine life-related shows on TV” as a child. He shares, “I was always curious about how we breathe underwater and interact with sea life. I wanted to experience all that beauty with my own eyes. On my first dive, I was definitely scared but it felt like coming home.”

Meenakshi Pahuja

Risks and rewards

And while there is a lot of reward to swimming in the oceans, there are some risks that come along with it. Neil Pimento, a diving superintendent saturation from Pune, says, “The offshore oil and gas industry offered me a challenging environment. The most heartbreaking incident [I witnessed] was when a diving support vessel sank with six divers in it. I was on the rescue ship and we found them all dead. The least we could do was to recover their bodies and provide closure for their families.”

Neil Pimento

As an open water scuba instructor in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Darius Quadros explains that recreational scuba diving like every sport has calculated risks involved and adds, “But you can stay safe by sticking to the standards and guidelines.” He adds, “This profession comes with additional responsibility as we are setting up training grounds for students. We have to be aware of our surroundings and hazards in the area. We are sculpting out divers who will want to continue diving in various dive sites around the world. Keeping fit, regular medical tests, avoiding diving when feeling unwell, hydration are small factors ensuring the safety of a diver.”

The water changes you

Working on the ocean can change people and Hegde shares that spending time away from the world, in the middle of the ocean, has made him a better person. “After work, you have time to reflect, so it gets you thinking. You tend to value your time with your family and loved ones and treasure the small things in life,” he says.

Anirudh Hegde

Sharing the advice a pro-driver had told him, Gupta says, “The first breath you take underwater will open up a new world for you. On land, involuntary breathing is natural but in the ocean, it becomes a voluntary act. It made me gain a newfound respect for each and every breath.”

As someone who feels the water is her second home, Phauja says “Water is a powerful element of nature. It taught me to work in silence, improve myself, challenge my limits and achieve the impossible. Paani jab behta hai toh woh apna raasta banana chahta hai. In the same way, you learn how to face difficult situations and challenges.”

“You learn to roll with the punches and keep learning”, says Quadros.”We as humans need to adapt to the underwater environment, respect it and protect it at all costs as oceans play a huge role for our existence.”

Darius Quadros

Take care of the water, it will take care of you

Phauja believes in using her platform to talk about caring for the ocean and spreading awareness. She says, “I take all possible platforms to raise the issue and concern of water pollution. I wish there were more dustbins in and around beaches, in India.”

While Hegde, Quadros and Gupta are not affiliated with any oceanic organisation, they all believe in living a life that does not harm the oceans. From participating in beach clean ups to creating awareness and educating their students, friends and family, these ocean lovers do their bit for their watery environment.