With clouds above and choppy waves battering the boat, my diving trip in Kenya didn't seem to be starting on a good note. The boat jumped over the waves and thumped against the water; rain spattered the 25 wetsuit-wearing divers on board. I felt slightly seasick as I recalled that a fishing boat capsized here in 2001, killing four people. The captain navigated wildly—if effectively—through a "mlango," Kiswahili for "gate," a gap in the reef where boats exit the lagoon through deep water. Finally we made it to calmer seas and the divers broke into applause. My queasiness subsided as I remembered what brought me here: a barrier reef and tropical waters teeming with marine life—manta rays, turtles, dolphins and even the elusive whale shark —in one of the least-known but most spectacular dive sites in the world. We were in Diani, a beach along the Kenyan coast about 322 miles east of Nairobi. Despite the area's natural beauty, these days its five-star resorts are semi-deserted. The area has been hurt not just by local crime and a lack of marketing, but also by the post-9/11 climate. The U.S. State Department has issued advisories against unnecessary travel to Kenya and other parts of East Africa due to concerns about terrorism. A 1998 car bombing at the U.S. embassy in Nairobi killed 219 people, and a 2002 attack at a hotel close to Mombasa killed 10 Kenyans and three Israeli tourists. Yet Kenya's coastal population relies on tourism to make a living, according to Ralph Winter, general manager of Diving the Crab, the company that organized our trip. "If 40 percent of tourism-related jobs are no longer in existence, you can imagine how many people are affected," he said. We divers—an international group of mostly Germans, French and Italians—chose to ignore the advisories for a chance at underwater paradise. We were heading to a wreck—an old fishing trawler—that the dive center sank in 2002 at a depth of 85.8 feet. All the dive sites along Diani lie parallel to the coastline, between 1,650 and 2,310 feet from the shore, part of a 125-mile-long barrier reef. Diving takes place beyond the reef, where the must-see creatures live. It is an ideal location for beginners, since dangerous sharks are rare here. But the site also appeals to experienced divers, especially those craving a glimpse of the whale shark. At up to 10 tons, they are the largest-known fish; they allow divers who encounter them to get very close before they swim away, and they have never been known to attack humans. Among scuba pros, seeing a whale shark is a prized goal. While doing our buddy checks, I began to feel nauseous again. I sat quietly with my gear on, waiting for my group's turn. The ultimate cure for seasickness is jumping in; fortunately it was only a few moments before we hit the water. | | Every diver has a favorite moment; mine is right after jumping in, when my head is completely underwater and I start breathing through my regulator. As I descended into the waters off Diani with my group, the water got murkier and chillier and the prow of the wreck came into view. Schools of tropical fish surrounded us. Swimming around the wreck, we saw barnacles, trumpet fish, trigger fish, bat fish, guitar fish, soldier fish, bigeye fish, banner fish, angler fish, frog fish, rainbow runners, jack fish, snapper, sweetlips, grouper, barracuda, scorpion fish and a resident lion fish. Our time underwater flew by; after 40 minutes, we emerged for our surface interval—the time required above water between dives to rid the body of excess nitrogen from breathing underwater. The rainy weather had given way to bright sunshine. On the boat, the friendly dive guides and instructors offered us fresh fruit and coconut to re-energize. We relaxed and soaked up the sun for a little over an hour before gearing up for our second and last dive of the day. We moved to a reef called Kisima Mungu. As we descended once more, we caught a glimpse of a three-legged green turtle as it swam away. We next encountered a friendly pilot fish, which looks a bit like a barracuda. It tried to bite our fins; for a moment, we worried that it was in fact a barracuda looking for prey. But after a few minutes it departed. As we left, I kept thinking of the family of dolphins I'd gotten accustomed to seeing during the breaks on board, and I made plans to return. Although I didn't see any whale sharks on my first trip, I did see them on a second visit to Diani. I only hope more international travelers and divers consider Kenya as a vacation destination; Diani is one of the most beautiful and serene places I have ever been. |
