Expeditions happen often around the world in different environments like marine bodies, polar regions, mountains, jungles, rainforests, deserts, and even space. Explorers begin these journeys with different purposes — from personal milestones to social causes — and no two expeditions are ever the same. On May 20, armed with paddles, life jackets, and a shared concern for the ocean, a team of 19 kayakers led by city-based SB Aravind, a scuba diving instructor with over two decades of experience, embarked on a kayaking expedition from India to Sri Lanka and back with the goal of spreading awareness about ocean pollution.
Aravind says, “There are millions of people who can collect the garbages on the shores, but there are very few divers in the world to dive and clean them. It is part of my job to dive and collect a lot of plastics and ghost nets to save endangered species like dugongs, whale sharks and turtles, along with many other marine species.” He adds that every year, along with his daughter, TA Thaaragai Aarathana — an 11-year-old scuba diver — he takes up different awareness activities while also setting world records. Their India-Sri Lanka-India kayaking expedition has now been recognised by the World Book of Records London.
The journey, inaugurated by Simranjeet Singh Kahlon, district collector of Ramanathapuram, along with police officials, began from Holy Island in Rameswaram on Wednesday and concluded with the team’s successful return to Dhanushkodi on Thursday after spending nearly 16 hours in the ocean. “Previously, we both swam from Sri Lanka to India as a father-daughter combination, and this year, we are doing the same combination along with all my friends and their children,” says Aravind.
Venturing into the ocean with nine kayaks and 19 kayakers (eight two-seaters and one three-seater) was no easy task, despite all the participants being experienced swimmers and divers. Explaining the challenges, Aravind says, “We had children in the 12 to 16 age group who were previously involved in various cleanup activities with my daughter, so we already had basic experience of weather conditions. We expected a calmer ocean, but we got really tough winds during the return journey. But while travelling from India to Sri Lanka, we got favourable winds, so we managed easily because the wind was helping us kayak.”
For Aravind, the expedition was not just about completing a physically demanding journey across international waters, but also about teaching younger generations to take responsibility for the environment. Reflecting on the changes he has witnessed over the years, he says, “Maybe 70 or 80 years ago, our grandparents would say how beautiful Chennai was, how beautiful Tamil Nadu was. But now, what are we showing to our kids? Lot of pollution, lot of plastics.”
Calling environmental damage a collective responsibility, Aravind believes meaningful change can only happen gradually through awareness among children. “Actually, we are spoiling the environment. We have to rectify the mistakes we have made. It’s not possible to change it in a day or two, or even 10 years or 20 years. Maybe another 40 years. But if we involve the next generation, they will understand how important it is to save our environment,” he says. Despite the records and recognition, he insists the larger mission remains unchanged: “We are focusing only on the ocean; save the ocean and save the marine life. Avoid plastics. That’s our only goal.”