Award-Winning Actor Discusses Passion for Scuba Diving in Exclusive Interview

Anca Vaida is a scuba diver and an award-successful actor, director, writer and producer. She recently received Best Actress for clinical drama Psyched! at the Miami World-wide-web Fest. The Television set collection, which she also wrote, manufactured and directed, has picked up about fifty honours, including two Telly Awards for Television Common Enjoyment and Tv Public Curiosity/Recognition. Initially from Târgu Mure in Romania, she now life in London, British isles, with her cat, Toki.

You’re a London centered actor with lots of credits to your identify but how did you get into Scuba Diving?

Back in 2012, a close friend invited me to go on a scuba diving holiday getaway in Egypt. I’m usually psyched to check out new factors, so I established about earning my Open up Drinking water PADI Qualification and, actually, it was a person of the ideal conclusions I have ever produced!

The waters in Sharm El-Sheik were just astounding. I have been back again to Egypt considering that, diving in Hurghada and Dahab.

You point out that you have been to Egypt but where by else in the world have you dived?

At the other conclusion of the spectrum, I’ve dived Iceland’s Silfra Fissure in Thingvellir Nationwide Park. Observing the underwater ‘Cathedral’ and ‘Great Hall’ is worthy of the excursion alone. The h2o is so pure that the visibility is breath taking.

Other than that, I have also dived in Cape Verde, in the Atlantic, and Lefkada in Greece.

What took you to Miami this November? Florida has some outstanding diving spots

I was invited to Miami to attend the Miami World wide web Fest for my television collection Psyched! which had been nominated for an award. With this in thoughts, it was the excellent justification to celebrate my 10 yrs of diving by visiting the wreckage of the SS Copenhagen off the town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

I managed to see sea turtles, rays and lobsters on my dive, among the wreckage. Just when I believed my journey couldn’t get any greater, I was offered with the award for Greatest Actress at the Net Fest gala.

I was delighted to gain the award and loved my time diving so significantly. The only draw back was that I did not get to see any nurse sharks. Oh effectively, it seems like I will have to come back again!

Photo: Ella Albert

You are a substantial advocate for protecting the atmosphere. What can we do to secure the coral reefs about the earth?

Preserve diving! On a primary amount, diving supports the local overall economy but also raises awareness of the wildlife down there. As lengthy as folks are diving in the waters all around the reefs, it makes sure that their situation is monitored and the outcomes of local weather adjust are remaining mapped. I learnt that the Florida reef is the only living barrier reef in the US and which is incredibly relating to.

Even if you choose diving wreckages to looking at the wildlife, terrific! These wreckages come to be synthetic reefs and are significant to the maritime ecosystem. Diving them can contribute to them being selected countrywide parks and places of historic interest, a lot like the SS Copenhagen was.

Dwelling in London, have you at any time dived in British waters?

I normally observed diving as a little something I’d do on vacation and I’ve primarily long gone abroad, when I can. Having said that, I will be heading to Cornwall to dive this summer! I have study about the wrecks down there, like the James Egan Layne, and cannot wait around. I’d also like to snorkel with basking sharks. In spite of their sizing, they’re seemingly quite timid, so we’ll have to keep on the surface if we don’t want to scare them absent.

Where by would you like to dive in future?

I have options to dive in Thailand in 2023 and would really like to go to the Surin Islands in unique. From my research, they’re a little bit quieter than the Similans and the possibility to see Whale Sharks is much too fantastic to resist!

To leading it off, there are sea turtles, reef sharks and manta rays feeding in the waters there also. The Surin Islands put together with a couple wreckages would be the suitable holiday for me, not to mention a stop by to Richelieu Rock if I have time!

About Anca Vaida

Actor, director, writer and producer, Anca Vaida has received various awards. She also comes about to be a marketing consultant psychiatrist doing work for 10 many years in Britain’s National Well being Provider, which encouraged her new medical drama Psyched!.

Her other noteworthy jobs consist of Crossing continents on BBC radio, the film Can We Order Very first? which premiered at the Berlin Limited Film Festival, Sorry, My Compassion is on the Blink at the Pleasance Theatre, London, and the engage in High-quality and Dandy at the King’s Head Theatre.

Prime picture credit rating: Andrew Phipps
Profile photo credit: AP Wilding