I meet Veruska De Vita at Freshly Ground in Rosebank. She’s wearing a bright coral red dress with matching earrings, her curly hair loose. Her sea-green eyes sparkle when she talks about the ocean, and there’s an exuberance about her that draws you in. She is, I think, a real-life mermaid. I’m meeting her to chat about her first book, Deep Blue, which she describes as narrative nonfiction – part memoir, part popular science – exploring free divers, ice swimmers, extreme athletes, and ordinary people connected to the ocean.
It’s a book that drew me into the many worlds of water, reminding me why I love swimming. It got me, in the middle of winter, to jump into the pool to feel that mammalian diving response she describes – the one that slows everything down and makes you feel alive as you step out of the cold water, shivering.
Why a Book About the Ocean?
For Veruska, the ocean has always been a pull, one woven into her heritage and life.
“My parents come from Sicily, and my dad was an incredible swimmer,” she shares. “He used to swim miles between islands, free dive for octopus, harvest seafood, and spearfish. I grew up with these amazing stories, and even though I live inland, I’ve always felt I needed to be near the sea. My husband jokes that he can tell when I haven’t been in the water – it changes my mood.”
A few years ago, Veruska decided to do a free diving course. “I practised breath holding and got up to about three minutes. Then lockdown hit, and I couldn’t go anywhere.” Stuck at home, the idea wouldn’t leave her. She wanted to know more about free diving and what drew people to such an extreme sport. She reached out to some of the world’s best free divers, who were all too happy to let her into their worlds – and so the seeds for Deep Blue were planted.
Learning from the World’s Best Extreme Water Athletes
One of the biggest takeaways for Veruska was how adaptable and capable the human body is – “done carefully, with skill, we can push ourselves much further than we think.”
However, she notes, many elite divers are simply born with the ability: natural breath-hold talent and physiology that lets them dive deep without injury. For those who aren’t naturally gifted, the body can suffer serious damage, from torn lungs to burst eardrums.
For divers like Alexey Molchanov or Alessia Zecchini, depth feels natural. Alexey, especially, seems half-fish. He grew up swimming and diving with his mother, who is also a legendary free diver. Then there are athletes like South African Amber Fillary, who found her strength in cold-water diving. She can’t go deep because of a burst eardrum, but the moment she enters icy water, her whole body relaxes. Watching her is extraordinary – she channels her addictive personality into something beautiful and healthy.
On Free Diving vs Swimming
Free diving is intuitive to Veruska, allowing her to explore the ocean without tanks or heavy equipment.
“Holding my breath heightens all my senses,” she says. “I hear and feel differently; even my skin becomes more sensitive.”
Swimming, on the other hand, brings a different set of pleasures. “Just being on the surface, noticing different sounds and rhythms of thought, is beautiful,” she says, adding, “Swimming alongside others, whether in False Bay or during a race, creates an incredible rhythm, almost like moving as a pod. It makes me feel like I belong in the sea.”
Lessons from the Ocean
When asked what the ocean has taught her, Veruska doesn’t hesitate:
“Respect. You can’t control the sea. As humans, we often try to control nature, but with the ocean, we must learn humility. It sustains life – providing oxygen, livelihoods, balance – and it’s our responsibility to protect it.”
A Body Memory
Veruska can’t pin down a favourite water memory. She calls it a body memory.
“Every time I swim out beyond where my feet can touch and lie back in the waves, I reconnect with every version of myself – five years old, ten, fifteen, twenty-five. It’s a body memory that takes away all the everyday worries. It’s the stillness you can’t get anywhere else.”
Read Deep Blue If…
I asked Veruska who Deep Blue is for. Her answer:
“If you’re fascinated by people’s connection to the ocean. If you’re curious about how extreme swimmers and free divers push themselves. Or even if you’re a little fearful of the water, because this book might just change your mind.”
Versuska De Vita is a seasoned journalist and founding partner of Twiga Communications. She is also a learner free diver and open-water swimmer. Deep Blue, published by Jonathan Ball Publishers is her first book which explores her love for the ocean.
