Saudi Gazette Tell any Jeddawi it is festive time and he just rushes to the beach. Three Pakistanis went a step ahead this year to celebrate the advent of Ramadan. They took the dip. Yaheya Ashfaq, Umer Jan and Qazi Ajmal went to the bottom of the Red Sea off the coast of Jeddah to welcome the month of fasting. They also offered prayers on the floor of the Red Sea amid colorful fish. They even took lanterns, one of them had bought from home, for a full celebration under water. People turn to the lantern (fanoos) as part of the tradition of the holy month. It is hung on balconies during Ramadan. The lanterns had inscriptions glorifying Allah Almighty: Subhan Allah wabi Hamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection and all praise is due to Him) Subhan Allah il Azeem (Allah is free from imperfection, The Greatest). They prayed for the unity of the Muslim Ummah in general and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in particular at a time when the Ummah is passing through several trials and tribulations. Yaheya, a professional photographer, even filmed the plunge. The video, which has gone viral in Pakistan, shows the three friends waving Saudi flags and offering prayers 140 feet underwater. One of the reasons, Yaheya told Saudi Gazette, the group chose to go under water on the eve of Ramadan was to "highlight the importance the beaches, the coral reefs and the sea play in our lives. "The underwater life in the Kingdom is really unexplored and can a major role in increasing tourism as well," he added. Yaheya is an avid deep-sea diver and loves the Red Sea shore. He has only one word for it — "special". He has taken part in the beach cleaning drives. He was also part of the group that cleaned the Corniche some eight years ago with Prince Sultan Bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. Yaheya experienced diving in Dubai and Yanbu. He said Jeddah's beach stands apart from others in the region. "The ships lying on the bed of the sea around Jeddah make the dives worthwhile. Moreover, the mountainous coasts are a perfect set to the coral reefs," he added. He said the types of fish one is most likely to encounter during a dive are: Sergeant Scissortail, various Butterflyfish, Barracuda, Redtooth Triggerfish, Coral Grouper, Wrasses, Goatfish, Parrotfish, Stingrays squids and sharks. Yes sharks! He says he has seen sharks as big as three meters. Asked whether it is safe to go in water with sharks, the experienced diver, who loves exploring the seashore after dark, said: "My instructor used to say: ‘Do not panic when you see a shark and it will not panic.' So we leave it alone and it leaves us alone." The open water portion in the Red Sea is amazing, according to Yaheya. Although we are into June, it was still beautiful underwater. "The best time to go diving around Jeddah is February and March as visibility is great around at that time of the year. The temperature of the water is also perfect," he told Saudi Gazette. There are multiple factors as to why the Red Sea diving experience is so special. Water temperature is said to be perfect; the visibility is good; there is tons of life down there; tons of coral; some big fish, turtles and millions of small fish. His famous hangouts are: Chicken Wreck, Cable Wreck and the Staphonos Wreck.
