By Bonnie JamesDeputy News EditorThe ‘Mermaid of Karachi’ Rosheen Khan, Pakistan’s first female diving instructor, rates Qatar as a nice and peaceful place with a good marine environment.“I would love to visit again,” the master scuba diver trainer told Gulf Times during her participation in the recent underwater survey for the Qatar National Historical Environment Record project.A member of a team led by University of Birmingham’s Eoghan Kieran, Rosheen was involved in inspections ahead of the dredging of new channels for the New Doha International Port to the south of Wakrah.
“We found small corals in various stages of growth, a lot of vegetation, stingrays, fishes and different kinds of beautiful sea snakes,” recalled the expert, affiliated to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (Padi). “I was excited to see the branch corals, because I have worked on two underwater marine coral reef conservation projects in Pakistan, so I am much more interested to see live corals,” she said.Rosheen considers the branch corals as a positive sign, because in a few years they will spread around the area and form a new shape of reef.“This was my first trip to Qatar and I enjoyed working with such a great team, the best dive team I have worked with,” she said, while referring to her experience since February this year.Apart from Kieran, the team comprised maritime archaeologists Jamie Lewis, Konstantina Vafidou, Jenny Breslin, Saad al-Naimi and scuba cameraman Cathal Twomey.Rosheen is of the view that this world contains ‘two worlds.’ One is the land and the other lies under the sea. So those who learn diving become a part of both the worlds. “When you enter the sea, you would see things that are historical, that disappeared a long time ago. The sea world is very vast. The more you explore, the more you discover. It is a never ending world.”Rosheen recalled that she wanted to be a pilot. “Pilots used to inspire me. In those days, it was not considered good for girls to get an education. So, I started my education very late. Although I did not become a pilot, I did manage to reach the depths of the ocean. Her introduction to the world of diving came after she joined Karachi Scuba Diving Centre in 2004 as an administrator.Founder Yusuf Ali saw some spark in Rosheen and suggested she learn diving and swimming. She was not very enthusiastic initially.“The day I began diving I had gone on a routine trip. A group of marine biologists from Karachi University had to go underwater to collect samples. “Upon return they excitedly discussed things they had seen underwater. I had no idea of all this back then and was intrigued by their discussions. It inspired me so much that I decided to go underwater and see for myself.”Ali agreed and briefed Rosheen, but did not give her the details about how deep the first dive was going to be.“He geared me up and threw me off the boat. I rolled back into the water. For a few moments, I was spinning, not knowing what had just happened. Within seconds when I came up, I realised all was well; I was up and breathing. “Those sights from underwater are still locked safe in my eyes. I have never been able to forget that, it was so beautiful. The water was crystal clear. Swimming with the fish, I felt I was also a fish, a part of the sea world.”Ali told Rosheen only later that she had gone 60ft underwater in the first dive. Once she overcame the initial shock, she thought why not learn diving and explore the sea further.By 2006, Rosheen had become a dive master. When she got a job offer from Abu Dhabi, Ali encouraged her to take it. In 2009, she went to Thailand and became a Padi instructor.Over a period of about two and a half months, she took seven specialties and became the first night rock diving instructor in Pakistan. After her return to Pakistan in 2009, Rosheen started training students at the Karachi Scuba Diving Centre and achieved the status of ‘master scuba diver trainer’ by the end of the year, a qualification essential to train more than 50 students. Rosheen has until now trained more than 200 diving students and her name has been included in the Diving Almanac Book of Records for two years. But not many girls have taken after her in Pakistan.Rosheen, who has worked as a banker in between, also completed a law degree recently. However, she would love to pursue her passion for diving as long as possible.