Scuba diving resumes in the surroundings of Netrani island in Uttara Kannada

Scuba diving resumes at Netrani Island, off Murdeshwar in Uttara Kannada, as tourism season kicks off. Three operators selected via bidding process. Footfall of tourists increasing to other destinations in district. 14 species of corals, 89 species of fish. 30 divers daily, 70 on weekends. Mandatory registration, medical questionnaire. Boats return 4.30-5.30pm. Diving duration half an hour, depth 12m. Age 10+. Different packages offered. No touching fish/damaging corals/throwing materials.

With the tourism season for 2023-24 kickstarting in coastal Karnataka, scuba diving in the surroundings of popular Netrani Island, off Murdeshwar in Uttara Kannada, has resumed.

Baby Moger, Deputy Director, Department of Tourism, Uttara Kannada said that the Uttara Kannada district administration has allowed scuba diving at Netrani island from October 4.

“Three operators, selected through a bidding process, have been allowed to organise scuba diving at Netrani Island,” she said adding that the footfall of tourists has begun to catch up to other destinations in the district at Yana, Gokarna and Murudeshwar.

Netrani Island, known for different species of corals and fishes, is 20 km (one way) off Murudeshwar coast. It takes an hour to reach the island in a mechanised boat. The State government allows scuba diving in its vicinity from October to May depending on the weather conditions. Netrani Island had 14 species of corals and 89 species of fish.

Netrani Ganesh, proprietor and managing director of M/S Netrani, one of the three scuba diving operators in Murudeshwar and whose Netrani is registered with the Trade Marks Registry of the Union government, told The Hindu that his Netrani now handles about 30 scuba divers daily. “The number of divers doubled and went up to even 70 a day on Saturdays and Sundays,” he said.

Mr. Ganesh, whose Netrani is registered with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and certified by General Thimmayya National Academy of Adventure, said that divers have to report at Murudeshwar at 8 a.m. and are taken to the island after completing mandatory registration procedures. The divers will have to mandatorily fill up a medical questionnaire before heading to the island to ascertain whether they can be allowed for diving. The boats will return in between 4.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. The diving duration will be half an hour. The divers are taken down in sea up to a depth of 12 mts. The divers will have to be aged above 10 years.

Different types of diving packages are offered by the operators, he who operates scuba diving in the surrounding of the island since past 13 years said.