Let’s go to Andaman #ExploreIndianIslands - Day 3
At the end of Day 2 we confirmed and booked for an early morning Scuba Diving the next day. We were excited and scared both at the same time, since none of us know swimming. We carried a towel, spare dress and water to the scuba diving place. It is advisable to carry lesser things, though we are given a locker at the venue. First thing the instructor told us on arrival was that, it is good that we don’t know how to swim, because we will have a dive master who will guide us. This gave us some relief but still until we started the dive, we were slightly sceptical. We were asked to fill a medical form and emergency contact details, as per the rules. We then had to pay for the dive, before proceeding to change our clothes to the Scuba gears. Post that we were given a locker to keep our belongings. Then with the scuba shoes on, we walked through the sand and entered the water which was till our chest height. We were given the scuba glasses and the scuba tank over there. At that coastal level itself we were given training on how to use the tank for breathing underwater. We were asked to practice this until we got a hold of breathing. We were also instructed on how to release pressure from our ears and how to release water in case it enters. We were monitored by the instructor as we did this. The instructor also taught us some sign languages, which was to be used underwater while diving mid sea. After this, we were taken in a boat, with life jackets, to mid sea. There we were transferred to another boat which was loaded with the scuba tanks, from where we were supposed to jump. We were tied with weights in our hip, scuba legs and the tanks were placed like a backpack on our backs. Then we were pushed into the water, with our backs facing the water. Each of us had 1 dive master and we were guided by the master to go down deep to witness a whole new world. As we started going down, we saw so many varieties of fish, corals and other underwater creatures. It was a different world that existed underwater. We went to a depth of 6 to 8 metres underwater, all the while taking some good snaps & videos. We executed all the skills we had learnt at the coast, while enjoying the scenic beauty underwater. The 45 minute dive was so good and it felt really different. When we came out we felt we could stay there eternally. After all the fun down there, we came back to the upper surface, where we were relieved of the weights tied in our hips first and then the tank. Then we climbed the ladder to the boat, which took us back to the coast, where we first had the training. It was an adventurous and at the same time fun filled dive. We walked back with so many memories and thrilling moments. We collected our belongings along with the memories in photos & videos. It was a fun filled adventurous start to the day before going back to the resort to freshen up and checkout.
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| The beautiful underwater world
After refreshing and checking out, we headed towards Kalapathar Beach. It was another white sand beach but with a lot of black corals and stones which forms the name of the beach. The beach had many photo-op places, shops nearby for refreshments and shopping, huts and benches to rest. It had very clear water, clean white sand and one could take a bath till a good stretch. There were paid restrooms available for travellers, which were clean and hygienic.
From the beach we headed straight for lunch next to the Jetty where we had to board our 2nd ferry. We headed to Shaheed Dweep (previously known as Neil Island) for our next stop in a 45 minute ferry from Swaraj Dweep, carrying amazing memories with us. Shaheed Dweep is a very small Island to the south of Swaraj Dweep. Once we deboarded, we were taken straight to have another view of sunset from this Island at Lakshmanpur Beach. Yet another white sand beach but had amazing views on both sides, on the coastal side and on the other side. The palm trees in the backdrop were really nice and the sunset was really mesmerizing. We could see Swaraj Dweep’s southern end from Lakshmanpur beach. After sunset and with the twilight, the photo session was really beautiful to enjoy at the beach and also have some beach snacks such as Bhel, Papdi, Channa and lime tea. Once again at 1730 hrs it became pitch dark and at 1800 hrs it looked as though it was 2200 hrs. We checked in to a beautiful resort after this, TSG Aura, which had its own private beach too and we were told that we can view the sunrise next morning around 0530 hrs, from that beach itself. The sound from the sea was heard inside the resort, which was so nice and peaceful to hear. With all the beautiful thoughts and memories, we closed the day after a sumptuous dinner.
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