Hey you! Yes, you! put your diving suit on and let’s go into the ocean.
If you are someone who loves to explore nature in every way possible, you should also try Scuba Diving!
Exploring the depths of the sea and swimming with underwater life is a unique experience in itself. An alien world for many, scuba diving brings you closer to a new world of coral reefs, beautiful and different species fish, flora, and fauna of the marine world.
Mangalore is now a popular destination for various adventure sports like Camping and Scuba diving. Just off Murdeshwar, on the Goa-Mangalore highway lies one of the best dive sites in this part of the world, Netrani Island.
Netrani Island
Netrani, historically known as Pigeon Island and also Heart Shape Island is a small island of India located in the Arabian Sea. It is off the coast of Karnataka situated 10 nautical miles (19 km) from the temple town of Murudeshwara in Bhatkal Taluka.
The island can be seen from the main coast over 15 km away, including from various beaches in Bhatkal city as well as from the Murudeshwar Beach.
Netrani is a small uninhabited island that would make a perfect setting for an adventure yarn. The last thing you would expect to see here is the submarine wonderland bustling with everything from Angelfish and Turtles to Barracuda and Moray Eels.
Scuba Diving at Netrani Island
You need not travel abroad for an underwater experience.
If you are seeking some underwater adventure and wondering where to go, then get ready for the most amazing experience of your life!
Netrani diving is rated as one of the best dives on the west coast off the mainland. With depths ranging from 6 to 40 meters and visibility from 15 to 30 meters, divers from every level can experience the wonder of life beneath the waves. The season is usually between February to June and then between October to December depending on the monsoons.
Netrani offers the easiest access to clear water diving in India. These dive sites have coral reefs, rock pinnacles, and shipwrecks. The warm, crystal clear waters around Netrani Island, make it an ideal destination for beginners to learn scuba diving and for seasoned recreational divers to enjoy the challenge of deeper dive sites!
Scuba Diving: Some Basic Details
Scuba Diving is affordable and available now on the West coast of India at Murdeshwar. Discover Scuba Diving @ Rs 3499 per person for the group of 10 or more during weekdays & Rs 3999 per person for the group of 5 or more. Dive session for approximately 30 to 40 minutes with their PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) professionals.
Since there’s no harboring area on the island, so a small backpack is sufficient for a scuba diving trip to Netrani island.
A day before or on the same day, pool training is given to the divers to give an idea of how it would be in the open waters. The training would comprise of basic scuba safety, equipment knowledge, and demos as well. You would further head to the island by boat, where the gears and equipment are handed over to you.
Highlights of the Snorkelling Spot
Known for its overwhelming underwater experience, you will get a chance to come face to face with diverse fish life common to the Arabian Sea. Some of the other types of marine life found here are Napoleon Wrasse, Cobia, Stonefish, Black Tip Sharks, Great Barracuda, Turtles and Stingrays, etc.
Murudeshwar Temple
Located in Karnataka, this magnificent shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple boasts of the second-highest statue of Lord Shiva in the world, and the sheer magnanimity of the statue will fill you with a sense of awe. This temple is built on the Kanduka Hill which is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on three sides. The main temple’s entrance, also called the ‘gopura’ stands at 123 feet and you can witness the breathtaking view of the Shiva statue from the top of the gopura.
The temple, embodies a Linga, is believed to have erupted when Ravana flung the Atmalinga at Gokarna while lifting it.
The Shiva statue here is quite an impressive one and will surely leave you with a humble sense of tranquillity. This magnificent statue is a perfect tribute to a God who is held in high reverence in lands far and wide.
However, the dive sites here are not comparable to the Andaman Islands. But, being a coral island, the area is perfectly suited for snorkeling and scuba diving.
It is known fondly, as the ‘heart of India’s diving’.
