Divers - people of the sea

People have always been drawn to the depths of the sea. They were attracted there by a variety of feelings, ranging from curiosity to profit. Traditionally, one of the main occupations of coastal peoples was fishing for food. For centuries, divers' equipment consisted of a simple piece of stone, a rope, and a primitive nose clip. The only danger awaiting divers in the depths of the sea were sharks and other marine predators. These dives were performed by holding one's breath, and in this respect, humans were similar to dolphins.

But everything changed dramatically in the crazy 19th century during the technological revolution. Man, the misfortune of nature, became its patron. To overcome the limitations of his abilities, he circumvented the laws of nature and invented technical means that allowed him to break with centuries-old tradition and stay on the seabed longer than nature intended. It was then that the first diving suit was invented. But was man able to conquer nature? No.

The first diving suit

Because, having gained the ability to stay underwater for a long time, he had to pay a very high price for it. It turned out that now, in the depths of the sea, divers are threatened not only by marine predators. This time, the danger lurked within the person himself. When supplied with air from the surface, the diver could work underwater for many hours, but after a quick ascent, he fell ill. This strange and terrible disease was called “the call of the sea.” Literally a few long deep-sea dives could turn a healthy and strong diver into a disabled person. The person began to experience terrible pain in their joints, their limbs stopped obeying them, and paralysis set in. The only way to get rid of this terrible torment was to descend to the depths again. Miraculously, in the depths of the sea, the pain went away and joint mobility was restored. It was only in the late 1940s and early 1950s that the cause of this terrible disease was discovered. It seems that the days of desperate divers descending at their own risk to great depths in search of the gifts of the sea, oysters, sponges, and corals, are long gone.

In the 21st century, the gifts of the sea are harvested industrially, and there are entire shellfish farming industries. Marine life is caught using modern technology—bottom trawls and trawls are controlled by computers. Crabs are caught using electronic ultrasonic bait. It seems that there is no place for loners in this world. However, recently the profession of diver-shellfish gatherer has once again become in demand. The economic and social crisis that shook the countries of the former USSR led to poverty and forced people to look for the most unexpected forms of income. In essence, it meant a return to subsistence farming, where people rely only on their own strength.

Diver underwater

Seafood delicacies have become particularly fashionable recently. One of them is the rapana mollusk. This harmless-looking sea snail appeared in the Black Sea relatively recently, at the beginning of the 20th century. With no natural enemies, this predator destroyed the Black Sea oyster and has now turned its attention to mussels. Rapana is harvested in only one way: it is collected by hand from the seabed at depths of 40-60 meters. The work of a rapana collector is very dangerous, as the pressure at such depths reaches 7 atmospheres. Incorrect ascent can lead to caisson disease. Restaurant owners earn huge amounts of money from the gifts of the sea, but, as hundreds of years ago, divers get only crumbs.

And yet they have to risk their lives every day. Prolonged exposure to high pressure at great depths can cause caisson disease. In this situation, the human body becomes saturated with seemingly harmless gas bubbles, but when the diver surfaces, the pressure decreases and these tiny gas bubbles begin to expand, clogging the blood vessels and rupturing human flesh. But even knowing all the dangers that await divers in the depths of the sea, these people return to the seabed again and again. Meanwhile, in restaurants, people far from the dangers of the elements, living from office to home, feast on the seafood delicacies that the people of the sea catch. Some of these people sitting in luxurious restaurants love adventure, and some of them are divers and also dive into the water. Most of them have everything they need for a comfortable life: cars, houses, yachts, their own businesses, but they are missing something.

Diving is a dangerous profession

Perhaps modern life does not allow them to express their natural instincts. They lack thrills or a thirst for new experiences from the beautiful blue abyss, from communing with the natural environment of the sea. But perhaps they are looking for something that is abundant in the male instincts of a hunter, which is why expensive diving tours are so popular today. Dolphins dive while holding their breath, but unfortunately, humans are not dolphins. While a dolphin can stay underwater for 15 minutes on a single breath, a human can only stay underwater for 2-3 minutes. The worst thing that can happen to an underwater hunter who dives while holding his breath is not being able to surface for some reason. No one will be able to come to his aid, and he can only rely on his own strength and experience. Most likely, you know people who, no matter what, cannot imagine their existence without the sea.