Die Hard Indian, Mumbai : Newsletter for September 2006

Something to think about - September 2006
Shark Attack - By Gaurang Damani

I would like to think that the shark was only a few centimeters away from my face.  But that was only the rush of blood in my veins. In reality, the shark with its mouth wide open and flashing its teeth, was maybe a foot away from my face. Along with 5 other adventure seekers, I was surrounded by about a dozen sharks off the island of Oahu of Hawaii. Ofcourse, I was inside an 8 ft. x 9 ft. x 12 ft. porous cage for 35 minutes, but never felt once like coming out of the blue warm clear waters of the Pacific ocean. Welcome to the world of “Adventure sports”.

Our speed boat had ventured 3 miles from the coast line. The organizers threw raw fish into the ocean and sure enough the sharks who can sense blood from miles away came in numbers. We had plenty of opportunity to click photographs using our water-proof cameras. But, the fear that by letting go of the handle bar, a limb might float out of the cage meant less clicking and more watching. And that was just fine.

You need absolutely no diving experience to enjoy this exciting activity. Just a swimsuit and the willingness the get in there with the big fish, and you have a great time while viewing the big creatures through the fiber glass window!

After the shark adventure, my experiences with snorkeling in calm waters in Molokini near Maui and learning how to surf the waves at Waikiki beach or para-sailing and jet-skiing, seemed docile. But nevertheless, one of the greatest thrills in life is to explore the unexplored world under the sea. The joy of discovery of new sights of corals and colourful fishes can be tremendous. And it struck me that these adventure sports had tremendous tourist potential in India. To snorkel you don’t even need to know swimming as you can easily tie a floatation device around the waist. Abroad, a basic snorkel costs only about Rs 500. A basic surf board also costs a few thousand rupees. Ofcourse scuba gear maybe a little more expensive, but not so much that an enterprising Indian cannot afford to buy or rent.

Adventure sports can do our country a world of good in two basic ways. Firstly, if well marketed, it can bring in a ton of local and foreign tourists, always looking for fun and adventure and something new to do. India has amongst the longest coastlines in the world. We have coral reefs with abundant sea creatures to showcase. Snorkeling and scuba diving can be easily exploited for economic gains for our tourist department.

A quick search on the internet showed that currently only coastlines of Lakshadweep, Andamans and Goa offered some basic form of snorkeling and scuba diving. With a little more publicity and endorsements by some celebrities other water sports like water skiing, jet boats, canoeing and rowing, too can be developed.

Secondly, most humans by nature, like to compete. Also, history has time and again shown that victory belongs to those who take calculated risks. This also means that we do our karma without having any fear. Enthusiasm can move boulders! What better way to inspire an entire young generation of Indians to face the globalized world than to have them master fear through adventure sports.

Email -  damanig@diehardindian.com