Sports lovers strive to protect environment

Lost to urbanization

This month, the natural resources bureau in Dalian announced a list of 70 beaches in the city's urban areas to better meet increasing demand among residents to get close to the sea in their spare time.

Su Yuntao, 36, said that among the beaches on the list, he could never find the one he visited during childhood.

"I used to swim and collect various types of seafood there, but the beach has since disappeared in the process of urbanization," he said.

Su works at a yachting club in Dalian, and is a spear fishing and freediving enthusiast.

"About 10 years ago, I read a book written by Deng Gang, a well-known novelist from Dalian, that awakened my desire to explore the sea and to hunt," he said.

The novel, Shanlang Haizei, which translates as "Wolves of the Mountain and Thieves of the Sea", tells the story of haipengzi－men who dive deep into waters to catch precious seafood after taking just one breath.

When resources were in short supply before China introduced reform and opening-up in the late 1970s, haipengzi, who had no equipment, relied on their skills to catch an abundance of seafood.

Inspired by their story, Su wanted to learn more about haipengzi, so he joined a group of people who became some of the first in China to learn freediving.

Su learned these skills in 2012 from Zhao Lei, also known as Enzo, China's first freediving coach certified by the International Association for the Development of Apnea. Two years later, Su went spearfishing.

He is accompanied by three partners on such trips, and everyone in the group can dive to a depth of 40 meters in the sea by taking just a single breath.

"In Dalian, temperatures are low in winter, and we only dive from June to November," said Su, adding that he once caught a yellowtail kingfish weighing nearly 40 kilograms.

Su said many people are interested in joining him, but the cost of chartering boats, and a lack of ability to learn freediving, deter them.

"What we do is considered an extreme sport with considerable risk," Su said, adding that he regards the word "ocean "as awe-inspiring.

"We strictly abide by environmentally friendly requirements," Su said.