U is for 'Underwater Pursuits'

There are a whole bunch of activities that can be done underwater, starting with scuba diving and snorkeling. I haven’t done either although I had the opportunity to do it on my trip to Ibiza in 2012. Some of my friends who accompanied me on the trip to Ibiza did take part in scuba diving, but I decided to give it a miss. I did take part in parasailing though in Ibiza and other adventure sports in other countries.

My friend who came on the Ibiza trip with me used to do scuba diving in Africa, too. She has done a course and obtained a certificate in scuba diving. She enjoyed it immensely, but it is not everyone’s cup of tea. Another friend has learned scuba diving in the Andamans. As the movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara shows us, it gives some people a unique experience to enjoy marine life in its habitat.Here's a picture of the Mediterranean sea that I took on my trip while seated on a speedboat with my friends.

Even on my trip to Thailand, when I went parasailing, some people went on the underwater walk to look at marine life. I skipped that, too. The closest I’ve come to underwater pursuits is a handstand at the swimming pool! For some reason, I’ve attempted that since childhood!

It may be a while before anyone is able to pursue underwater sports thanks to COVID-19. So you should think of pursuing these underwater pleasures in a small way within the confines of your home. If you have a pond in your premises, it can be a sustainable model for marine life. Otherwise, you can start an aquarium in a small way at home. To start with, you should acquire an oblong glass tank with a maximum amount of water surface, which you can place in a cool corner of the house with good natural light and shade. The water need not be changed frequently if plants like myriophyllium ( parrot’s feather), snails and the right soil with vegetation is prepared as a habitat for fish. Each inch of goldfish body( excluding the tail) needs about a gallon of water and a suitable tank can be upto 10 gallons capacity. According to Chinese Feng shui, eight goldfish and one black fish will make for an auspicious collection. Watching these marine organisms will be soothing to the nerves as life for them seems to just stop still all the time.

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