You haven’t lived until… you’ve freedived with dolphins
Described as the ultimate mindfulness practice, freediving forces you to be present and quietens the mind while giving you the chance to explore the otherworldly ocean floor. By DELILAH KHOMO
The lowdown
In the depths of the ocean, you feel part of something bigger than the isolated worlds we’ve created for ourselves. Through the power of freediving, you are gifted the chance to swim with sharks, manta rays, dolphins and whales. As part of the aquatic travel company, I Am Water, champion freediver Hanli Prinsloo teaches you how to freedive over the course of a week. During these retreats, which are booked for no more than 10 people, there is a chef on hand to prepare special alkaline meals that help the body absorb more oxygen into the bloodstream, plus daily sessions of yoga and meditation to aid with breathing exercises needed for the dives. Prinsloo organizes trips across the globe, from the Polynesian kingdom of Tonga to see the migrating humpback whales, to the remote island of Niue in the South Pacific for diving with dolphins, and to the Indonesian Raja Ampat archipelago to swim with manta rays.
Insider travel tip
Mozambique has the most amazing crystal-blue seas for diving. It’s one of Prinsloo’s favorite places to organize diving expeditions because of the bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales that swim there. Said to be the most playful creatures in the world, they allow you to become part of their pod, and in the mornings, when the current is wild, you can watch them surfing the waves.
Need to know
I Am Water offers a seven-day itinerary to Mozambique to freedive with Prinsloo. The package includes full-board accommodation, freediving tuition, swimming and diving with dolphins, daily yoga sessions and domestic transfers.
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