For movie fans, the Jaws theme song is pure entertainment, but for diver Jessica Pita, it’s a song that can save lives.
That’s because she’s blind and her dive buddy hums the Jaws tune to indicate that a shark is nearby.
The 21-year-old reveals to MailOnline Travel that he found John Williams’ tune particularly useful on a dive in Mozambique, East Africa.
She says: “My dive buddy and I hadn’t gotten to the point of deciphering a signal for a shark, so when one swam right below us as we descended, he started humming the tune from the Jaws movies and tried to shout the song. word shark.’
While he couldn’t make out “shark,” he instantly recognized the tune and realized there was a shark beneath them.
Jessica Pita lost her sight when she was just 11, but she hasn’t let her disability stop her – she is now a qualified diver. Here she appears in the photo of her with her guide dog, Fudge.
The 21-year-old South African underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor, but was left with permanent damage. His central vision is now “completely black with small points of light.”
At the age of 11, Jessica underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor that was causing inflammation in her optic nerves. Although she had it successfully removed, she was left with permanent damage.
His central vision is now “completely black with small spots of light,” his peripheral vision is “extremely blurry,” and he has depth perception and color blindness issues “as everything just fades into everything else.”
The motivational speaker and student from South Africa can distinguish the contrasts between light and dark, but she relies primarily on her other senses to navigate the world and her guide dog, Fudge.
Jessica hasn’t let her disability stop her and decided to take an accessible diving course with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), to become a qualified diver.
Although she initially considered it a “visual” sport, Jessica “fell in love” with diving and has now explored reefs in Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique, and Sodwana Bay, South Africa.
He is already planning his next trip: to Madagascar.
Although she cannot see the marine life around her, Jessica can distinguish between light and dark colors. She says, “I can make out the contrast of the reef with the sand or the water.”
Jessica revealed that her dive partner hums the Jaws tune to indicate that a shark is nearby.
Jessica also uses tactile cues while diving, which she exercises with her partner before taking the plunge.
Although she initially considered it a “visual sport,” Jessica “fell in love” with diving. Here she is shown setting up her equipment on the beach at Sodwana Bay.
Jessica is also able to free herself from the pressures of everyday life and feel the sensations of being underwater.
She says: ‘I enjoy the peaceful and happy feeling of being underwater. As my daily world revolves around my senses, there is rarely the chance that I can simply hear or feel something without worrying whether it will affect my orientation.’
He says he can “listen to the reef for pleasure” rather than for a purpose, like “listening to the cars when you cross the street.” She can also “feel the sand” instead of “focusing on the texture of the ground so she doesn’t trip or miss a step.”
Jessica is connected to her diving instructor while underwater.
Instead of hand signals, it relies on a system of tactile signals, which are established before descending.
For example, to replicate the “OK” signal, her dive buddy will squeeze two fingers and she will respond with the usual hand signal.
Jessica says she enjoys the sensations of being underwater and feels a sense of “peace and happiness” because she can just “feel the sand” instead of “focusing on the texture of the ground so she doesn’t trip or miss a step.”
Motivational speaker and student thinks diving should be accessible to everyone
While these signs can be seen as a “completely new diving language,” Jessica says they are “simply a new way of making the sport accessible.”
One of the only obstacles he has faced is “coming up with new ways to point out different types of fish.”
He adds: “The signal for the butterfly fish involves my dive partner taking both of my hands and forcing them up and down in a movement that represents a flapping of wings.”
Jessica says her experience with diving has made her realize how “wrong” her initial perceptions about the sport were.
She explains: “When we took a fresh look at diving, we showed how simple it can be to make something accessible.”
Jessica believes that everyone should be able to experience the sport and advises “everyone to try scuba diving regardless of their ability.”
To see more of Jessica visit her on TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@x_flyingblind_x or Instagram on www.instagram.com/x_flyingblind_x. And visit their website here: flyingblindsa.com.