How Indian Coral Woman Uma Mani Became an Ocean Crusader at 49

Uma Mani loved to draw and paint as a child. But her grandparents told her to stop wasting time, paper and colored pencils. He asked them to focus on education and marriage. When, at age 49, she decided to learn swimming and diving, relatives remarked, “You’re the age to be a grandmother.” But this time, she decided to take the plunge — literally and figuratively. Today at 59, Uma Mani has earned the title of India’s ‘Coral Lady’, using her passion for art and concern for coral reefs to create awareness about the need for marine conservation.

Her childlike enthusiasm is intact and contagious. “Don’t call me madam. I’m younger than you! I was reincarnated at the age of 45, so to be honest I am only 14 years old,” joked Uma Mani in a Health Shots conversation from Dindigul, Tamil Nadu.

She is easygoing in nature. But she has a huge mission in her heart. “The ocean is literally the ocean. We need a lot of hands and brains to save the ocean from the trauma that humans are experiencing every day,” she says, worrying about the state of coral reefs, marine life and climate change.

Life as a happy housewife

Before rediscovering her love for drawing and painting at the age of 45, Uma Mani was a “happy housewife”. She cooks, washes, cleans, visits the vegetable market, talks to people and sometimes gives yoga lessons or English tuitions. But life changed after she started painting again.

Umamani used to draw gardens, plants and flowers as a child. From the green surroundings of Chennai, India, she shifted her base to the azure blue waters of Maldives with her husband, she is 39 years old. The water intrigued her, but swimming was not her forte. She continued to paint flowers and decided to create rose-themed paintings until she saw a documentary on coral reefs. She started drawing coral reefs.

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“For 4 years, I have been exhibiting these paintings without actually seeing the corals. During an exhibition in 2014, someone said to me, ‘You should look at an underwater coral reef and then paint it. I thought it was about time I learned swimming and diving.

That became the turning point. Uma Mani decides to break the prejudice, rather than the relatives getting into a relentless argument about old age and sexism.

Uma Mani shares her initial position as a diver

In the Maldives, she went to sign up for a diving course. But she was asked to learn swimming first to easily navigate any underwater emergency. She had to visit Chennai where she learned to swim. “My people thought I was crazy. ‘You will become a grandmother at this age. Don’t go and break your legs! All the old women in Chennai were like ‘Why do you want to do this?’ I said, ‘I just want it.’ They have many questions. But I didn’t answer any of them,” Uma explained.

Now almost a decade after her first dive, she laughs heartily the first time her diving coach tells her to “jump.” She was on the edge of the boat and could not jump until she convinced herself: “I have come this far… I must jump.”

That first dive left a lasting impression on her. Mesmerized by the vibrancy, colors and splendor of the coral reefs, she asked, “Why did I deny myself this beautiful experience earlier?” She started asking herself. Today, the 32-year-old mother of one is thankful for her determination and the support of her husband and son. “It also gave me the feeling that I did… I took a risk,” she says, noting that now “diving is easier than walking.”

The Journey to Becoming a Coral Woman

Since then she has dived underwater at least 25 times, each time driven by a passion to speak more about coral reef conservation through her art. Uma maintains a dive log in which she writes details about the location, duration and experience of each dive. In 2018, her life story inspired the documentary ‘Coral Woman’. Filmmaker Priya Tuvasseri finds merit in the story of an inspirational housewife who falls in love with corals and through her art begins to draw public attention to the devastating effects of climate change on marine life and coastal communities.

Uma Mani’s continuous efforts led her to be recognized as ‘Earth Champion’ by Sony BBC Earth.

Looking back, she says, “The journey took its own flow. I started painting and diving. But only when I learned about the problem of underwater coral reefs and marine pollution – I started to think differently. My perspective from a happy coral reef to a sad coral reef began to confuse me. Now I talk to people during exhibitions, in colleges and institutions about the carbon footprints we leave behind, how the oceans are being damaged by the use of garbage and plastic. This disaster is playing a very important role in climate change and every person should be aware of the responsibility to protect.

Uma Mani on her fitness mantra

As for how she maintains the physical activity of diving at nearly 60, she says, as celebrities do: “My fitness mantra is to be active.” In truth, she reveals that she only does what women used to do most of the time – a lot of housework. She is not dependent on domestic help or personal vehicle. She takes public transport, makes sure she walks to the temple every day and thanks to her four lovable dogs.

“I suddenly realized that if I wanted to dive, I would not be able to carry 20 kg on my back! I have to work on my body every day. I exercise, yoga, walk and stay positive. I am careful about what I eat and sleep by 9pm, my husband always says ‘it’s up to you to live your life well’. So I made my choices right. ”