Wreck-diving compels new pursuit for Indian adventure junkies

If a piece of history under water tickles your fancy, you should go wreck-diving. It involves exploring shipwrecks and the fascinating stories around them. The good news is Indian travel and adventure companies are offering wreckdiving expeditions.

One such firm, Mumbai-based Karina Tourism and Adventures (KTA), is organising tours of the Inket, a Japanese ship that sunk during World War II in the Andamans. The trip, scheduled for October, comprises a five-night stay on a live-aboard vessel named The Infiniti. It costs approximately Rs 90,000 per person (excluding taxes).

Sunil Bakshi, founder and CEO, The Infiniti Live-aboar d, says, “When you spot a wreck, your mind starts thinking about the story behind the sinking. It is eerie and mysterious.” The Inket lies in the depths of f Andaman’s Duncan Island. Forty fouryear-old Bakshi, a diving enthusiast, has visited wrecks in Maldives, Mexico, Thailand and Andaman. The Inket, he says, is as fascinating as they come.

“The beauty of wrecks is that over time, they are colonised by fish,” Bakshi says. “The ship is encrusted by corals. It becomes an artificial reef. The Inket site is a beautiful, pristine place. And when there is some current, you also spot some bigger predator fish.”

Diving, however, is an extreme sport and has stringent eligibility criteria. All of The Infiniti’s diving operations are as per Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) standards.

For a wreck-dive, one has to do a certification course. Bakshi also recommends an experience of at least 15 dives before attempting a wreck visit, though it is not stipulated. Besides, while an advanced diver may dive the wreck, he will only be allowed to circle and not penetrate it.

Only certified wreck divers can go inside the ship. There are more things to remember. While wreck-diving, one always dives with a ‘buddy’, never alone. The dive leader is visible at all times. And you always maintain a minimum of 50-60 bar air in your air tank.




Founder and CEO of The Infiniti live-aboard Sunil Bakshi (Left) on one of his trips to the Inket, a Japanese ship that sunk during World War II in the Andamans. A portion of the Inket (Right)

“As soon as you come down to that level of air, you have to inform your dive leader and abort the dive. Carry a torch and a back-up torch too,” Bakshi says. This year’s season at The Infiniti begins in October and continues till April.

Other wrecks in India include a wooden fishing vessel called MV Mars near Havelock Island in Andaman and Suzy’s Wreck in Goa. However, Bakshi says that visibility in the Goa waters is poor compared to Andaman and Lakshadweep.

Overall, though, India is fertile ground for diving, Bakshi says. “People are not aware of the kind of opportunities that exist here,” he says. “I want to showcase India as a diving destination to the rest of the world.”.