Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Nov 29: In overseas countries there is a kind of tourism in which a person can take a trip inside a sunken ship by Scuba diving. Now the tourism entrepreneurs of the coastal districts of Karnataka have put a step forward in this direction. The industrialists are planning to attract the tourists and make them watch the ship that sunk and still under water as it could not be brought to surface through Scuba diving.

If the efforts in this direction are in the preliminary stages in the city of Mangaluru, it has been a month since 'Ship Wreck Scuba Diving' started in Udupi. In Mangaluru, a plan is ready to watch the ship M V Ocean Blessing which is submerged under water at a distance of 15 km from the coast of Panambur beach.

Representational image 

In between Shiroor of Udupi and Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada a cargo ship, that sunk some decades ago, is lying at a depth of 100 feet under water. Here Karnataka Wreck and Scuba Diving company has started shipwreck diving. The district administration has given encouragement for ship wreck scuba diving in the district of Udupi. Department of tourism also is encouraging this unique form of water sport tourism.

Not only ship but sight of other living creatures too

The adventure sport enthusiasts dive into the sea after donning the required Scuba diving apparel and oxygen cylinder. They get down directly on the ship and take a tour of the same. But the ship is not the only thing that the Scuba divers get to watch. As the ship is lying underwater since many years or decades different kinds of waterborne creatures live on the ship. It will also have coral developed on it. In addition, there will be numerous water plants that grow on such sunken ships. This is an opportunity to view such rare plants which are not available on land.

There is no need to know swimming for normal diving. However, in order to ship wreck scuba diving experience is required. An expert will accompany the tourist also. A ship of China origin sunk into deep sea at Shiroor in 1980. This ship which is 120 meters long is lying at a depth of 38 meter. The tip of the ship can be seen at a depth of 15 meters. This ship is the spot of rare fishes like Red Snapper, Barracuda and Gian Grouper.

Yatish Baikampady, CEO of ship wreck scuba diving projects, says, "The tip of the ship Ocean Blessing that has sunk off the coast of Mangaluru at a depth of 15 meters can be seen at a depth of 15 feet from the surface of the sea. The deputy commissioner has shown interest in developing ship wreck diving also as a part of the various activities related to the development of Panambur beach. Ship wreck diving is going to start in the month of December."