"The last 10 years have reinstated my love for the ocean,” says Parineeti Chopra, who’s been training for scuba diving for a decade and is now a Master Scuba Diver. Before this, just like everyone else, Parineeti looked at the sea “as a visual, but didn’t understand how important the oceans are for human survival.” On the occasion of World Oceans Day today, the actress talks about her love for the underwater world, how she’s a part of clean-up drives and the beautiful coastline of India which needs to be protected.

Talking about how she was mesmerized by the oceans and took to scuba diving, Parineeti shares, “I was on the sets of Kill Dil in 2014, where I was shooting an underwater sequence with Ranveer (Singh). They were shooting from the bottom of the pool. That’s when I was mesmerized and enrolled for a scuba diving class in Mumbai. Over the years, I became an advanced diver, then a rescue diver. Now, I am a Master Scuba Diver. People get into diving as a vacation activity, for me it’s a discipline.”

Parineeti says that she shares a deep connect with the oceans. “I prefer doing liveaboard diving instead of land-based diving. For 10 days, you are stationed far into the ocean. This type of diving allows you to go to locations that are untouched. My connect with the ocean then becomes very spiritual. It feels like a spiritual vacation as you are cut off from the rest of the world. I love experiencing nature on a meditative level and scuba diving allows me to go into that next level of meditative trance. It is an experience that gives me happiness on a deep level,” she explains.

The actress, who’s gone diving in oceans across the world, says the underwater scenery is changing rapidly and that’s alarming. “Extensive measures need to be taken to save the oceans. Industrialization and climate change is causing this. I have sometimes gone back to the same dive spot and seen the change. There is coral bleaching everywhere, marine life is getting impacted and the Great Barrier Reef is changing with time,” she says.

Wanting to do her bit to save the oceans, the Hasee Toh Phasee actress says, “There is a small group of people that is trying to make changes and I consider myself a part of that group. One of the greatest threats to our oceans is plastic pollution. Unfortunately, the oceans are considered a garbage dump in many parts of the world and not only physical tangible garbage, but also liquid garbage goes into it, and industrial waste ends up in water. There have been times where I dived to see beautiful marine life and was shocked to see cola cans and chip wrappers at the bottom of the ocean. I am also associated with an international diving body with a purpose. We take up ocean clean-ups and bring back with us garbage from underneath the ocean.”

Unlike Parineeti, her husband, politician Raghav Chadha isn’t into diving. She says, “Not all battles can be won. This battle is ongoing (laughs). It’s definitely on my priority list. I would love for him to go scuba diving with me and yes, koshish jaari hai.”

The actress shares, “Palau in Micronesia has a lot of shipwrecks underwater from World War II. Sipadan in Malaysia is also very beautiful. Australia is stunning. Closer to home, I love Lakshadweep.”