If there is such a thing as Emmarentia’s own Aquaman, chances are his name is Mark Botha.

Spend even a few minutes with the 70-year-old chairman of Normalair Underwater Club, and his enthusiasm for life, and life below the surface becomes impossible not to be intrigued. “People ask me when I’m going to stop diving,” he laughed. “I hope I never have to.”

Read more: Local diver plunges into a whole new world

Botha recently completed his 32nd Polar Bear Midwinter Dive, part of a tradition he has shared with fellow club members for more than three decades. Yet his love affair with water began much earlier.
After contracting polio as a baby, running sports were never an option. So, he found his equaliser in the water. “I swam for South Africa, played underwater hockey, underwater rugby, water polo – everything I’ve ever done has been in the water. On land, I couldn’t compete with the rugby players or football players. But in the water, everybody’s equal.”

That sense of freedom still captivates him. “Underwater, you’re weightless. It’s probably the closest you can get to being an astronaut.” For Botha, no two dives are ever the same. One unforgettable experience saw him and partner Daleen Potgieter engulfed by a bait ball so dense with fish that daylight disappeared. “It was like being inside a bubble of fish. Absolutely amazing.” His passion has shaped family holidays, with both his sons learning to dive as children.

Also read: A swimmers tale of grit and growth

Beyond the adventure, Botha believes diving creates a deeper appreciation for the oceans and the need to protect them. “I think everybody should dive. If people saw what’s under the water, they’d become much more conscious about pollution.” Still diving at 70, he remains a familiar face around Emmarentia Dam and hopes to continue for many years. Because for Botha, diving isn’t just a hobby. It’s freedom. And if you ask him what he’s hoping to find on his next dive? “Something,” he said with a grin. “You always find something.”

And perhaps that’s what makes him so memorable: a man who still approaches life with the curiosity of someone convinced that the next great discovery is just beneath the surface.

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