You must have heard about scuba diving or seen it in a film. We’re going one step further: walking at the bottom of the sea! Fascinating and exciting, isn’t it?
‘Sea Walking’ is an activity that lets you walk at the bottom of the sea and see marine life closely. Even if you don’t know how to swim or are afraid of water, you’re eligible to try it out. Sea Walking is easy and more importantly, an excellent opportunity to experience the underwater world.
Imagine this: an oxygen helmet around your head, holding your friends’ hands, walking at the sea’s surface, close enough to touch fishes and corals. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?
That’s what a Sea Walking experience is like. It’s fun, although you need to make sure you don’t think about how you are far away from sunlight and fresh air, at the mercy of a heavy helmet which defies gravity and keeps you from floating right back up.
What Is Underwater Sea Walking?
Wonder no more: Sea Walking is an amusement sport, chiefly for the benefit of tourists. And yes, you can engage in the activity without learning how to swim.
Participants are ferried in small boats to a specified location, where they are taught the basic instructions, communication signs and necessary underwater dos and don’ts. They have to wear a life jacket, as well as a helmet which allows for underwater breathing, and are tied to a boat.
It is natural to feel a slight tug downwards when the helmet is put on. Supervisors wait at the bottom to greet participants and assist them through the underwater tour. What’s more: photographs can be clicked underwater at some extra cost!
Underwater Sea Walking in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
The first place to offer Sea Walking in India were the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and they remain an excellent option, thanks to the clear and relatively less polluted water.
North Bay Island in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands was where underwater Sea Walking first began in India. The island is famous for several water sports and attracts a lot of tourists every year.
You can reach North Bay Island by taking a ferry ride from Port Blair. It usually takes about an hour to get there.
Elephanta Beach in the Havelock Islands also offers the experience. You can enjoy the beauty of its coral reefs over and above the already exciting experience.
Underwater Sea Walking In Goa
Goa offers Sea Walking too. You can pop over to Baina Beach near Vasco Da Gama to engage in the activity. It is the only place onn the Indian mainland where Sea Walking can be done. However, Baina Beach is not very famous among tourists and when people seek the experience of Sea Walking, they usually pick the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Who Should Not Sea Walk?
Children below the age of 7 cannot partake in Sea Walking. Pregnant women, patients of asthma and heart disease are advised against engaging in the activity as well.
Like many other adventure water sports, Sea Walking is also highly dependent on the weather. Unfavourable weather conditions could lead to cancellation of the activity. Thus, it is always better to check the weather predictions and plan your trip accordingly.
Sea Walking is an enthralling experience; it is like watching a 3D film which was shot underwater – but you’re actually in it! You can experience the cold water, see fishes swim past you and even attempt to feed them!
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