Water sports suspended in Goa after tragedy at sea
After this week’s tragic drowning of three Russian tourists off the Goa coastline, the state government has blocked all further water sports activities in the state.
On Tuesday three Russian women died after a boat capsized off Goa’s Canaguinim beach during a dolphin watching trip.
The boat was carrying a total of 10 Russian tourists and investigations concluded it was operating without a valid permit, Goa Tourism Director Amey Abhyankar.
"The incident involving drowning of three Russian tourists is very unfortunate. The capsized boat was operating without permissions and an FIR has been registered against the boat operator," Abhyankar told reporters.
"All water sports operators and owners are hereby directed to stop all water sports operations and activities on the designated beaches of Goa, with immediate effect, until further order," the tourism department said.
Although the department has registered and issued permits for 1,500 operators on Goa’s beaches, there are many more operating illegally.
Officials said none of the boat’s passengers were wearing mandatory life jackets at the time.
The bodies of the three victims have been formally identified as Nikolaeva Tatiana, Bulastova Irina and Elena Kulikova.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026