Odisha’s Youngest Scuba Diver, Dubai-based 10-year-old girl Tisya Panigrahi dived 40 feet deep in the Gulf of Oman off the eastern coast of United Arab Emirates.
Jharsuguda : In her first dives after obtaining her Junior Open Water Scuba Diver’s License, Tisya dived at two popular dive sites of UAE – ‘Martini Rock’ and ‘Hole in the Wall’, last Friday on the 9th of October. She dived along with her father Priyadarshee Panigrahi who is himself a Certified Open Water Scuba Diver. Tisya went down to 40 feet at the ‘Martini Rock’ dive site while she went down to 37 feet at the ‘Hole in the Wall’ dive site.
Tisya became Odisha’s Youngest Scuba Diver on 22nd August, 2020 when she successfully qualified for the Junior Open Water Scuba Diver License at an age of 10.
This license is given by PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors). PADI is the world’s largest scuba diving training and certification organization. It was founded in 1966 in Illinois, United States of America.
Tisya said ‘The underwater world is very beautiful and colorful. I saw a lot of different types of fishes and corals. You feel weightless in the calm and peaceful underwater environment’. She also said that this diving license gives her the opportunity to explore 70% of the world – which is underwater!
For Priyadarshee Panigrahi, Tisya’s father and Scuba Diving ‘buddy’ in these 2 dives, diving with his daughter was a surreal experience. He said, ‘It is an great feeling to hold your daughter’s hand and explore the secrets of the sea’. Priyadarshee said that he had always wanted to dive with Tisya and now that dream has come true.
Tisya is born in Sambalpur to Priyadarshee Panigrahi and Soumitri Nanda. Soumitri is from Cuttack. Tisya happens to be the granddaughter of former Minister and Member of Parliament from Odisha Late Sriballav Panigrahi and Educationist Late Smt. Sunanda Panigrahi. Tisya is also the granddaughter of former MLA of Sambalpur, Dr. Raseswari Panigrahi.
