Dr. Sultanul Aziz, an accomplished scientist, a phycologist and microbiologist who has traveled the world in his research, is also an experienced open water swimmer and FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee member who served as an official at the 2012 London Olympic Games marathon swim.
In his native Bangladesh, Dr. Aziz describes the beauty – degradation – of the coral reefs around St. Martin Island.
“There is significant coral bleaching here, like elsewhere, and the coral reefs’ survival is at stake. Forty years ago when I dived in the western part for coral reefs and all around in my marine research of marine algae, there were no signs of coral bleaching of any kind. This trend will kill the biodiversity in that area.”
Dr. Aziz in his research also tells of a harrowing experience around St. Martin’s coral reefs where there is significant tidal flow at times.
“I was in the southernmost tip of the St. Martin Island, as I was diving in shallow water. I realized that in a minute or less I would be drifting south beyond my capacity of swimming back. The currents were strong as the tide was going out southwards. For a few minutes, I held onto a coral rock. What would I do if I lost my grip?
Quickly, a plan crystallized. I would need to swim for Burma which I knew to be about 8 miles across the Bay of Bengal. I would have swam along with the current downstream first. When the tide turned, I would swim with the current going north bearing west to Burma. The final swim could have been 15-20 miles, but that distance did not deter me from making survival plans.”
But the learned man and open water swimmer ran through other alternatives to that marathon option.
“My alternate strategy was to rock-hop underwater for a short distance. This saved me from the dire circumstances that I could have faced in a 20-mile marathon swim [without preparation, goggles or hydration]. The rock I was holding on was full of Sargassum. It was very slippery.
Many open water swimmers and divers have horrendous stories to tell of near escape from death. This experience in St. Martin Island would not lead to a near-death situation if I had lost my grip. I was prepared to survive alone and no one would have missed me until evening.”
Fortunately, Dr. Aziz made it back home for lunch.
Photo above shows Dr. Aziz at the 2012 Global Open Water Swimming Conference with collaborator Lexie Kelly.
Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source