Dubai: For a fleeting moment I was convinced I may not come out of it alive.
Not long after I had put on my wetsuit, tugged my SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) and fixed my fins, I even said my prayers, silently and discreetly, just in case. The indemnity form declaring that I was going to dive on my own will too had been signed off.
In my mind, I was ‘prepared’ for the worst. Only you couldn’t tell from my face. Not even Prathamesh, my articulate instructor, had a clue that I was freezing in the fear even as he blurted out a set of pre-diving instructions for me.
Yet I hung on, knowing it was too late to return. So after a minute’s mock breathing under water, equipment check and crash course on sign languages to be used (when in danger or otherwise), we took the big plunge downwards.
Ambassador Lagoon
For a first-timer - and it doesn’t matter if you are a trained swimmer - the prospect of diving ten meters deep (roughly two floors of Burj Khalifa) into a water tank full of all sharks, rays and other marine creatures will give you the chills.
My first two minutes inside the 26 degrees lukewarm waters of the Ambassador Lagoon – the largest open air aquarium in the Middle East and Africa and home to 65,000 marine animals of almost all shapes and sizes - too were chilling. But it all fell in place though when, about half way down inside the water tank, I came head to head with a really big - what appeared to be a shark.
Not sure who was trying to avoid whom, we almost bumped into each other and that’s when magic happened. My fear of being eaten up by sharks, of being stung by rays, of not able to breathe underwater, of not being able to ascend - all vanished in a moment.
What followed was like an amazing dream – one that lasted for about 15 minutes, in a world full of bedazzling beautiful creatures. If there’s a wonderland in Dubai, that’s deep inside the aquarium of Atlantis.
DETAILS
This festive season, Dive Atlantis at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai has unveiled a range of new dive programmes with youngsters in mind, allowing them to get even closer to the all the marine animals that call Atlantis their home.
In collaboration with PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), the resort has developed world recognised certification processes for kids and adults.
ATLANTIS, THE PALM RESORT
Atlantis, The Palm is the first entertainment resort destination in the region.
Opened in September 2008, the unique ocean-themed resort features a variety of marine and entertainment attractions
Home to one of the largest open-air marine habitats in the world, with over 65,000 marine animals in lagoons and displays including The Lost Chambers Aquarium, a maze of underwater corridors and passageways providing a journey through ancient Atlantis.
