Shark awareness certification

[tkdgodess]

i would take a fish ID certification if i was diving in a different environment. i recently dove with a DM who is also a marine biologist, and his briefing was worth paying for! (he was my DMC for the day) I learned alot about my own local fish & environment, even tho i do have a shelf full of books.

Do what makes you happy.

 

[Tiburon77]

And then donate the money you would have spent on the certification to a worthy charitable organization that deals with shark research and conservation.

I already donate. Just wondering if anyone knew of any aquariums or anything like that in my area. You can get it it England in some aquarium and just was wondering if there was something similiar in the states. Mostly local to me.

 

[ZapDiver]

I've never heard of it, what are you supposed to learn in this certification?

 

[diversteve]

Shark Research Institute is based in Princeton, New Jersey. Maybe they know of something local.

Shark Research Institute- shark conservation, education, elasmobranch research, trips, expeditions, student education, save the sharks!

Probably be more interesting working with them than getting an "awareness" cert.

<--- It was for me...

 

[pir8]

This is a distinctive specialty. That means it was written by someone at the resort and only they or their designee can teach it. Unless someone else has written their own and then only they can teach it.
Dean Fessler from the Shark Research Inst gives great Shark Lectures all over the Jersey area.

 

[humanbeing]

Short way, go diving, see shark, be aware of shark, done deal.

This.

I'm becoming more of an libertarian/anarchist every day . . .

 

[Tiburon77]

Shark Research Institute is based in Princeton, New Jersey. Maybe they know of something local.

Shark Research Institute- shark conservation, education, elasmobranch research, trips, expeditions, student education, save the sharks!

Probably be more interesting working with them than getting an "awareness" cert.

<--- It was for me...

thanks! HUGE help!

 

[knowone]

Adventure Aquarium Camden.

I almost head butted one once. We looked at each other and made undignified retreats.

The funny thing is the one you need to be aware of will be aware of you first.

Someone bought me an aquarium birthday dive some multiple moons ago. I wonder if it's still valid.

 

[FuzzyNutz]

I already donate. Just wondering if anyone knew of any aquariums or anything like that in my area. You can get it it England in some aquarium and just was wondering if there was something similiar in the states. Mostly local to me.

The Camden Aquarium (under the newer moniker "Adventure Aquarium") lets you dive with the sharks, but it doesn't seem you can do any courses there. Adventure Aquarium :: New Jersey,Sharks Up-Close

I was born and raised in South Jersey (Williamstown), and had my junior and senior prom at the camden aquarium - that was definately pretty cool! I'm glad you brought this up too, because I was curious if I could dive there during a visit back to see family and friends... but too lazy to look it up until now I guess. Honestly though, I'd be so stoked about being back on the coast that I'd probably be more interested in the ocean (after 18 years of living by the shore, why did I learn scuba after I moved to land-locked Colorado ?!?).

Here in Denver, you can dive at the aquarium either with all the fish or in the shark tank (like $200 bucks a pop though), but the thing is - a LDS runs the operation. That's what got me interested in the fish ID course, they do it at the aquarium ($300!!!! wowow!!). BUT, since (in my opinion) there is nothing really exciting about the lakes to dive in around here, I'm kinda getting antsy to dive (with something to look at)... and because of that, I'm thinking of forking over the money. I look at it as 200 for 1 dive, or 300 for 2... so I might as well make a day of it and come out with more than a "I dove with sharks at the aquarium" t-shirt. haha!

 

[pir8]

Atlantic Edge Dive Center out of Baltimore Area does an Aquarium Diver Distinctive Cert to dive the Baltimore Aquarium.