Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Many associate scuba diving in India only with Andamans and Lakshadweep. But the country is blessed with numerous beautiful scuba diving spots in states like Goa and Karnataka. Platypus Escapes is attempting to put Visakhapatnam on the scuba diving map.
It offers programmes in the famous Rushikonda Beach of Vizag as well as in the lesser known Mangamaripeta beach, not too far from the city. It offers dives ranging from 20 minutes to 60 minutes to lay divers and offers training before taking the participants for the active dive. The responsible scuba diving business also offers various internationally valid certification courses affiliated to Scuba Schools International (SSI) and Handicapped Scuba Association (HSA).
It is also actively involved in underwater cleaning of plastic and other waste from the sea and creating awareness about marine pollution.
Price: Rs 3,500 onwards depending on the service
Read more: www.platypusescapes.com
Slow Travel
Marine pollution has many forms and one such is underwater plastic and other solid waste pollution. Platypus Escapes has started doing regular dives into the sea to remove plastic from the sea. The work was acclaimed by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his Mann ki Baat program in November 2019. Till now the team along with volunteers have removed over 17,000 kg of plastic and other waste from the sea in 57 days. This has also helped the company create awareness about the issue.
