Just a year ago, scuba diving was restricted to just one spot at Nethrani island, 19 nautical miles from Bhatkal. Though Nethrani is still the preferred scuba diving centre for its coral reef, scuba diving will become more accessible according to beach tourism experts. It is a one-day outing.”On the importance of having scuba diving spots close to the city, Ranjit Punja, a world class scuba diving trainer, says, “All scuba diving centres must have a good urban connectivity which we have in plenty in Mangaluru. In the past, scuba diving was only available in Goa and in Havelock in Andaman Islands. “Scuba diving in Mangaluru will be on two levels — training level and try diving, also called Discovery Scuba Dive (DSD),” says Punja.

Source: The Hindu January 27, 2018 09:16 UTC