LOCAL LEGENDS

Sodwana Bay’s Unsung Hero of the Sea

Text & Images By Gabriela Guberman

Located off the remote beaches of KwaZulu Natal, are some of South Africa’s best diving sites. Sodwana bay is known for its beautiful coral reefs, filled with life - both big and small. Here, amid balmy warm water and a clear blue ocean with top to bottom visibility, young people from the local Zulu community are offered the opportunity of a lifetime. A local outreach programme run by Coral Divers is their gateway to a career in diving.

The company runs an internship that is open to everyone, attracting young people from around the globe who are looking to turn their passion into a career. A favourite gap year course for ocean lovers and divers of all levels, this programme is a splendid way to spend a few months in paradise. All the while gaining the necessary skills to forge a lifestyle as a PADI dive professional.

Beginning with little to no ocean experience – and often limited swimming skills – eager students from the Mbazwana community are taught how to dive. Between days working on the beach assisting with the dive company’s routine operation, they complete courses and rack up hours below the surface. Once they graduate as divemasters, their local expertise shines through, and in many cases, they quickly excel in this field.

Ntuthuko Thwaia (NT) is an excellent example of this, his exceptional knowledge of the reefs and their inhabitants has made him one of the top divemasters in the area. After countless hours spent diving and memorising the habits and hiding places of Sodwana Bay’s diverse reef life, he guides guests with expert precision. “I was very scared of the sea in the beginning,” he recalls with a pensive grin, “but now the ocean and I are buddies – more than buddies – we are one.” He explains this while tapping his two index fingers side by side – the diver hand signal for buddies. His level of knowledge of the reefs on his doorstep is astounding – it is no surprise that he now works for a high-end dive operation.

Through relentless dedication and sheer hard work, NT has made a name for himself in the community and beyond. “Back home they think I am some kind of a legend; they treat me like a hero.” The under spoken, modest man complains; “I don’t like it one bit.” “I want to help my brother and others get into scuba diving,” he explains, “If I can do it so can they.” He tells me about how inspired those back home are, and how he tries to pass on his passion for the ocean. “Chester taught me to swim and took me snorkelling” he recounts, referencing a past intern from the community, and a successful divemaster now working overseas. “My dream is one day to build a pool for my community, to give them a way to learn to swim. Being able to swim is key, and that is the hardest part for us.” he highlights. “I remember being terrified of the ocean, with its deep waters and churning waves.” He recalls, “I will never forget the first time I went out; the skipper (someone I knew from home) pushed me right off the boat to go join my friends who were already snorkelling – I would never have made it otherwise!” He laughs.

Out of these divemasters, a selected few are offered the golden opportunity to become instructors – receiving sponsorship from Coral Divers to complete the intense and costly Instructors Examination. As an instructor himself, NT plans to travel the world and bring his people closer to the ocean. “I owe everything to this company [Coral Divers],” the young man concludes, “they have taught me so much, and I will forever be grateful.”