BREATHING UNDER WATER

Human beings are made for the Earth, but something in us still remembers where we came from: the great primeval waters where life started so long ago.

That’s why some of us learn how to conquer this element, not just superficially, but into the depths, perhaps to find their real roots, or simply to admire the beauty of the seas.

This is a serious and challenging activity, it requires physical and mental preparation, both before, during and after each dive. It takes a toll on the body and requires strict and ever-present discipline in order to be safe in all conditions.

It certainly is an aesthetic experience: the fish are so colored, the vegetation is in constant movement, flowing in the submarine currents, the entire world is perennially flowing, but it seems to be doing it with an inner and yet palpable harmony.

Like finding an octopus and playing with it, no desire to kill or eat it, but a pull to understand and get in touch with an intelligence different from ours.

Some divers would like to “grow gills” to be at one with the sea and its inhabitants, sharing the majesty of the uninterrupted silence, without the noise of the tanks and the ever-present bubbles that betray the human origin of the visitors.

Deeply in love with the feeling of expansion and communion with the sea and its creatures, the divers still need to be aware of their technical equipment from which they depend for their survival. It is a way to know oneself, because it takes discipline to save oxygen in order to stay under water for as long as possible.

In a way, diving, like all human activities performed with commitment and awareness, is a spiritual discipline that leads to better and improved self-knowledge, a prerequisite for real inner growth.

Every gesture, every photo is a declaration of love for the sea and its inhabitants: the multicolored tropical fish swimming around the garden of corals; the powerful and huge sharks, so supple in their movements, could frighten the divers, but the experienced ones know how to approach them; or gliding along the meadows of Posidonia (Posidonia Oceanica), discovering species never encountered before, this is the “catch” for the day.

In some parts of the world, especially in the Mediterranean, divers can also visit or even discover treasures from the past: ancient villas now sunk under the sea, lost cargo with important information from long ago, beautiful statues that share their message of harmony from centuries past. This is exactly what happened to the Riace Bronzes, found by chance, they quickly became one of the wonders of the ancient world.

Learning to live and thrive underwater is one the human challenges, its discoveries are countless and the attraction never ceases, even when people stop going underwater, the memories of those silent flights among the submarine wonders remain in their heart and senses.

This article is the result of many conversations with F.P. and R.R., who has also donated many photos for this article. I am grateful to my friends for their stories.

A.Vicini https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UIkqm6y8qI

Photos by R.R.

This short video was created to celebrate the seas of the world, the source of all life. It is time for us to give our love and support to the seas.