Apnea Total
Into the blue with koh tao’s free-diving mermaids
CRÈME DE LA MER
Go scuba diving around the Gulf of Thailand and you may just encounter a mermaid. Monica Ganame (left ) is probably the closest you’ll come to meeting one of these mythical creatures underwater. With nothing but one breaThand her trusty monofi n, she plunges to depths of up to 50 metres, frolicking with whatever creatures she meets along the way – whales, dolphins and manta rays included.
The Argentinian-born professional free diver wears no air tank or other bulky scuba gear – Monica can hold her breath underwater for up to six minutes. The absence of equipment not only allows her to interact more closely with marine life, it also lets her feel a part of the ocean herself.
Together with her business partner Eusebio Saenz de Santamaria (right), Monica has spent the past fi ve years promoting free diving through their diving school Apnea Total (www..apnea-total.com) on Koh Tao, an island twoand-a-half hours by boat from Koh Samui.
Many of us associate free diving with the super fi t, and those who have nerves of steel. But Monica calls this a myth.
“Anyone can free dive”, she says emphatically. One certainly feels like one could learn under her tutelage – Apnea Total is considered one of the top training centres of its kind in Asia. The duo are now planning a free diving festival this April, where they hope to bring some of the sport’s most renowned fi gures to Koh Tao.
PICTURE: AYESHA CANTRELL
Bookmark This Post
