Underwater birthday: 10YO Debopriya Saha is world's youngest junior advanced open water scuba diver

Visakhapatnam: Debopriya Saha celebrated her 10th birthday by taking her first scuba dive and becoming the world's youngest junior advanced open water scuba diver. She dived 35 feet in the Bay of Bengal on Rushikonda beach in Visakhapatnam. Born in Visakhapatnam, Debopriya now lives in Kolkata. To memorialise her childhood connection with Visakhapatnam, she wanted to do her first dive in Vizag.

During an interaction with NewsMeter, Debopriya shared her underwater experiences. "My father is an ex-Indian Navy diver. I have seen him dive in different places like Maldives, Thailand, and Andaman. After coming back, my father used to tell us stories and show us underwater videos. That inspired me a lot," says the 10-year-old. Debopriya aspires to be a marine biologist. "For that diving is required," she adds.

The minimum age for certification for scuba diving is 10 years and that's how it started for Debopriya who waited till her 10th birthday to dive and get her certificate. Debopriya was initially trained to float in the 200-meter swimming pool which is mandatory for any scuba diver. Her father helped her train in the swimming pool for a few months.

"I was waiting for this day. I have seen so many colorful fishes like puffer fish, some coral fishes, and angelfish. It was a new experience and I loved it," says Debopriya. "My next diving will likely be in the blue waters of Andaman. I will continue diving every season, travel the world, and meet new people," she adds.