Diving head first into lucrative biz of 'blue drug'

Chinese companies open centers for marine sports abroad, while enthusiasts from mainland turn their biggest patrons

On a tiny boat on the sea off Coron Island in the Philippines, a group of boat riders, laden with air tanks on their backs, get ready to jump. With backgrounds in different fields (engineering, teaching, baking, art, and so on), they come from different cities across China. They have all converged on this spot for the sole purpose of scuba diving.

It was Shen Linnan's first dive as a certificated diver. After she had her first scuba diving experience in 2016, the 25-year-old from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, became a fan of the leisure sport. Ever since, she practiced rigorously to receive her certificate this summer.