SOUTHERN AFRICA 2023: DAY 33 — MOZAMBIQUE

Going Diving in Paradise

Off a tropical island in the Indian Ocean

I hear nothing but my own breathing. I’m still trying to focus on breathing in and out as slowly and relaxed as possible but there are so many fish down here. And they are huge. How should I not get excited down here?

After doing our refresher course yesterday we were ready to dive in. Yes, we hadn’t been scuba diving since 2019 when we did our licenses in Thailand and had to refresh our knowledge.

And talking about being ready. Well, almost. We had about an hour's drive on a speedboat ahead of us on very choppy water. Yes, we're on the Indian Ocean but this sea can be rough too. With huge waves, strong currents and lots of seaweed everywhere. It all depends on the weather and it is cyclone season but I'll come back to that one in a later article.

Here, we still didn't know what we were getting into. It was our first time going scuba diving off a speedboat. It was our first time diving in years and yes, we were certainly excited.

It was a rough ride, to say the least. I had no free hands to take pictures along the way. Only once we got closer to the island and once the boat slowed down.

We drove for 45 minutes jumping up and down on the speedboat. No there were no seats, we just sat on the inflated sides with our feet underneath two straps tied on the floor. And then it was "hold on for dear life".

Guess what, we were more than relieved once we reached the island. The break was there for the crew to prepare all the tanks while the divers got off to enjoy the tropical paradise and relax after the bumpy ride.

But the worst was still to come. We got a quick briefing about the upcoming dive which involved another 15-minute boat ride now onto the other side of the island through something called a "washing machine".

Yep, those waves were certainly bigger than us and I was amazed at how the skipper navigated us through the rough sea with no visual markers on the horizon.

Once the boat stopped, it all happened very quickly. A guide helped me to put on the tank and all the gear. We did a quick safety check and a few seconds later, the dive master was counting down already. That meant, leaning back and falling into the water.

Don't forget to breathe.

I told myself.

I never wanted to go scuba diving. It was something I was more afraid of than intrigued by. I had always struggled to breathe or hold my breath underwater and was somewhat scared of the thought of not getting air while deep down below.

But learning to scuba dive was a dream of David and he kept on telling me to just give it a try. The course started in the swimming pool where I’m more than familiar with the surroundings as a confident swimmer. And so I decided he was right. I shouldn’t just say no without trying.

That was 4 years ago in Thailand. I did try. I struggled. I swallowed water. I refused to remove my mask underwater. I had to do more dives to complete all the tasks but eventually finished the course and got my open-water diving certificate.

And now I'm here. Somewhere in the Indian Ocean. Upside down. All I remember is to never hold my breath. Just keep on breathing.

While I'm mostly focused on breathing and following the dive master, David is swimming somewhere 20 meters behind me, diving into cracks in the reef, touching the sand and filming everything he sees.

I couldn’t have handled having a camera in my hand. As a skydiving instructor myself, I know too well how a camera will distract you from important tasks and why beginners shouldn’t have them on them. Or those uncomfortable underwater.

See that? It’s a Sting Ray. Barely visible and hidden under the sand but well spotted by our dive master.

And before you know it, your air is finished and it’s time to get back up.

To get rid of all the nitrogen in our blood before going down below with a second tank, we stopped on the famous Bazaruto Island for lunch.

After inhaling my meal (yes diving is a sport and certainly exhausting and draining), I went up the dune for a hike.

There were seashells everywhere. Palm trees were growing on the dunes and I even saw a lake on the island.

It was such a magical paradise. Turquoise-blue and crystal-clear water to our left, sand dunes and tropical vegetation to our right.

But the 45 minutes on this island flew by and soon it was time to get back on the boat. Luckily the ocean calmed down a bit and the drive to the reef wasn't as rough this time.

Knowing the routine now, I felt more confident and didn’t worry so much about entering the water backward from the boat.

It really felt like we were seeing the same marine life from Thailand but everything was seen through a magnifying glass. The fish weren’t just huge but very colorful as well.

And look at that. That’s me. Breathing underwater. Isn’t it amazing to be able to breathe below the water’s surface and stay down below for an hour?

In case you didn't know, it's difficult to smile. Underwater. While having a mask on your face and a breathing machine in your mouth.

There! It's a turtle.

And that was it. All I can share with you is that I'm so happy I got once again over my fear and went diving in the ocean. It's a totally different world down there.

This is part four of our roadtrip. Watch the full video of our tour through Mozambique down below:

We’re currently touring southern Africa and if you’d like to follow, go through this list of stories from our road trip:

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