Saturday March 21, 2009
Going sight-sea-ing
By JOLEEN LUNJEW
Too scared to go diving? Here’s an easier option.
I was never one for diving. Yes, I’d heard so much about it from my friends and many had tried to convert me, but the thought of floating in the open sea was just too daunting.
What if the boat left me stranded in the middle of the ocean? What if my breathing equipment malfunctioned? I’ll stick to snorkelling with a life jacket, thank you.
Taking an underwater stroll with curious fish swimming all around. — BORNEO SEAWALKING Still, I never stopped wondering what it would be like to swim all the way down to the coral and fish, or inspect a giant clam up close. Then, a visit to Pulau Sapi, an island within Sabah’s Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park just off Kota Kinabalu, threw up an underwater experience I couldn’t pass up.
As we lounged under a shady tree on the beach, a Korean man approached us with a big poster showing people wearing weird astronaut-like helmets underwater.
Seawalking, anyone?
This was a 10m walk along a dedicated seabed trail 5m under the sea. Run by a Korean company, the activity is only available in Pulau Sapi.
I was intrigued. Why not? You only need to wear your bathing suit and you don’t even need to know how to swim. So my friend and I followed the man to the office for a brief video presentation on what to expect.
A staff then explained the various hand signals used underwater. Thumbs up or down indicates going up or down, forming a circle with your thumb and first finger shows that you are all right and a flat, so-so motion with your palm facing downwards means that you are experiencing some sort of problem. He also taught us how to equalise pressure underwater.
The diving pontoon Briefing done, we were taken by boat to a small pontoon a few minutes away from the jetty. What greeted us was the sight of several astronaut-looking bubble helmets and rubber shoes of various sizes.
I put on the shoes and walked towards the edge of the pontoon and a ladder. The staff asked me to climb down the ladder with my back facing the sea. The bubble helmet was placed on my shoulders when the water reached my armpits. It felt really heavy, 35kg to be exact.
Thick foam pads under the helmet helped to ease the pressure. The weight on my shoulders slowly eased as I submerged in the water. Compressed air enters the valves at the side of the helmet and pushes the water down to about shoulder level so that your face and hair remain dry.
The air circulates around the helmet and goes out through holes in the back. A hose connected to the top of the helmet allows air to flow in. I found that I could breathe normally.
Pressure began to build in my ears, though, as I descended lower, and I remembered my short lesson earlier on how to equalise pressure. I brought my hand under the helmet, pinched my nose and blew hard. I felt better after my ears popped. Another method is to swallow saliva or move your jaws.
A diver helped me down the ladder to the bottom of the seabed and led me to ropes anchored in the sand. These waist-high ropes acted as railings marking an underwater trail. He told me to wait while he went to help my friend down the ladder.
It was not easy to stay in one spot as the underwater currents kept pushing me off balance. Walking was quite a challenge, as you can never keep a straight line. I felt as though I was walking on the moon. Luckily there were ropes to steady myself.
Little Nemo in the writer’s cupped hands. — JOLEEN LUNJEW My friend joined me shortly, and the diver began to point out various marine life around us. There were colourful soft and hard corals, starfish, marine plants and plenty of fish. If you’re lucky, you will be able to spot seahorses, giant crabs, a sea turtle and even a whale shark. I took pictures of everything with my waterproof digital camera.
I got really excited when I spotted a few clown fish, or Nemo as they are now known. They were playing hide and seek among the sea anemone and didn’t seem bothered by our presence. One swam towards me, and I cupped my palms beneath it, careful not to touch or frighten the little creature. I was totally delighted when it hovered above my palm. It seemed pretty comfortable and swam away after a while.
That was the closest I have ever got to an underwater creature in its natural habitat.
The diver pointed out some shells, colourful coral and a giant clam. We were only allowed to touch certain marine life — corals were not to be disturbed.
He proceeded to take out some bread from within the sleeves of his diving suit and released it slowly in the water. A school of fish zoomed in and snapped up the bread.
The diver then gave the bread to us and motioned for us to do the same.
I was a little scared at first. I didn’t keep the bread in my hand for long as the fish were not very gentle. Actually, it was a feeding frenzy, and I was in the middle of it!
But it was amazing to see fish of all shapes and sizes swimming so close around me. They were not afraid at all and pecked at every single crumb.
My friend didn’t mind the sharp teeth of the fish and allowed them to peck on his clenched fist as he slowly released the bread into the water. It was as though his fist was a squirming ball of fish.
After a while, the diver gave the thumbs up, signalling that it was time to head back up. Half an hour went by that quickly? We reluctantly moved towards the ladder, wishing we could stay for just a little while longer.
A staff took off my helmet as soon as I emerged from the water. It was quite odd that I was soaking wet but my hair remained dry.
With a heavy heart, I made the short ride back by boat to the jetty. Goodbye, Nemo. At last, I had the chance to visit you in your home.
Participants are given a certificate, plus digital photos and a video of themselves underwater. It cost RM150 for locals and RM250 for foreigners. For further information, visit www.borneoseawalking.com
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