'Scuba diving with life jacket?' No, PM Modi went snorkelling. Know the difference

Lakshadweep, a 32 sq km area in India comprising 36 islands, has arrived on India's “travel map” after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Union Territory earlier this week and shared images of its serene beaches, blue water, and white sands. Besides inaugurating a host of developmental projects and a crucial optical fiber connection, PM Modi showed his adventurous side and tried his hand at snorkelling. The pictures triggered a massive spike in searches on Google for Lakshadweep.

“For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list. During my stay, I also tried snorkelling - what an exhilarating experience it was!" the Prime Minister tweeted.

Several social media users, though, questioned why PM Modi wore a life jacket, seemingly confusing snorkelling with scuba diving and using the two interchangeably.

While both explore underwater geography, the two activities are vastly different.

"Indian PM Narendra Modi is going for scuba diving with life jacket on," one of many posts read. Some corrected users, drawing a distinction between the two water activities.

"Snorkelling is with life jacket, especially for non-swimmers. Going surface swimming in a sea is safer that way, that's the way around the world! Snorkelling and scuba diving are different!" a user posted.

What Is Snorkelling?

The word 'snorkel' comes from the German word 'Schnorchel', which refers to the pipe on a submarine that allows intake of air just above the surface.

Snorkelling is a popular underwater recreational activity and requires minimal training. Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep are popular snorkelling destinations in India.

Snorkelling involves exploring the ocean and marine life from the surface and do not go to the depths like in scuba diving. It primarily entails floating and involves little to no swimming. Snorkelers generally explore shallow reefs ranging from 1 to 4 meters.

For this, a snorkel tube, which helps in breathing air from above the water surface, a dive mask, a wetsuit are required. A life jacket is usually given to those who don't know about swimming and the elderly.

Those who go for snorkelling, swim in shallow waters with their head and nose submerged to get a glimpse of corals and sea life below them.

What Is Scuba Diving?

Scuba diving is more intense and is undertaken only by well-trained and certified divers. It requires extensive training on breathing equipment and safety procedures as it entails risks.

Unlike snorkelling, scuba divers stay underwater for longer durations and use advanced equipment.

Instead of a snorkel tube, scuba divers put on a regulator hose that is attached to an air tank (which contains a mixture of oxygen and helium) to help them breathe underwater and use swim fins that help them move in the depths of the ocean.