Diving the Newport Aquarium

[Quarrior]

Wow, aquarium diving is a whole other thing! It seems that one must develop a different subset of skills, or at least learn to place a different emphasis on ones already learned. Here is a list I am starting after my first “real” dive at the Newport Aquarium.

• The least important fin technique is propulsion.
• The most important fin technique is minimal usage.
• Entry and exit require a level of finesse totally absent from other forms of diving.
• Positional awareness is paramount. Not only do you have to know exactly where your fins end, so you don’t knock over any part of the exhibit you are diving, you need to be aware of what critters are near, and what potential harm you can do to each other.
• Diving exhibits presents a significant task load. No more a removed observer, you have lots and lots of stuff to remember to do.
• Most of all, since you are in the public eye all of the time you are underwater, you have to look totally cool while you are doing all of the above stuff.

My first dive was simply wonderful, and more than a tad humbling. My entry left a lot to be desired, my feet seemed to be a lot longer than I ever remembered them to be, especially in the cramped quarters of the exhibit, and I found out it is hard to clean glass underwater until you learn how to use suction cups.

But, what an epiphany!

Did you know that butterfly fish adore a sand shower? It was so totally cool to grab a fist full of sand and watch these fish play in the shower as I released it slowly. The Honeycomb Moray is perhaps the most beautifully colored eel I have ever seen, and a total delight to hand feed and watch swim. Puffer fish are just so cute! It was just too much delight to cram into one 80 minute dive.

Lemon sharks do a really neat dance when they are hand fed from the surface. The Porcupine Puffer will jump a little out of the water to snatch a tasty morsel out of your hand. Starfish seem to magically make their food disappear when you wedge a piece of fish up next to their “feet.”

Have you ever held an octopus?

Just too much fun!

Ray

Only thing that comes to mind is two words. Awesome and the other word is jealousy.

Really sounds like you had a blast.

Brian

 

[dripdrypoet]

What dive operations do you use for these trips?

We will be using RLT Divers, www.rltdivers.com. The boat is the RLT Diver III. This will be my first go with them, but the other 4 folks on the trip have used them before and were very happy with them.

 

[jbd]

I hope there is a trip report to follow upon your return. Thanks for the link.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Thanks for posting your first aquarium dive experience, sounds like you did your best to make like a fishy while the pressure was on. I like the idea of having a "meeting" at the aquarium, I've been there once but it's grown since I went.

"Touched by an octopus" well, not my bare hand but an octopus decided he liked the blue glove I was wearing and attempted to pull me into his hiding place first with one tentacle then two. His body was the size of my fist so he didn't stand much of a chance as far as dragging me into his lair went but it was cool to feel him try
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[SamDiver14]

How would you go about getting the opportunity to dive the Newport Aquarium?

 

[rab]

The program is administered by Scuba Unlimitted in Blue Ash, OH. There's more information about volunteering at the Newport Aquarium on the aquarium's own site.

-Rob

 

[dripdrypoet]

Second Dive, June 11, 2004

We started the day, as always, with a walkthrough and then we went to the dive kitchen to prepare the food for the day. The aquarist had left a request for the divers to clean the bottom of the walkway in the shark tank. It was getting a little dirty, and the visitors couldn’t look down into the portion of the tank where the Southern Stingray likes to hang out. Since I am not cleared to dive that tank yet, I was assigned the chore of warning any visitors who were wearing skirts that divers were underfoot, and they should watch their modesty. The cleaning went well, three divers in the tank, one to stand guard and the other two to do the cleaning. Unfortunately, the walkway did a great job of trapping bubbles, and a great deal of time was spent trying to get them out of there. The divers finally used the chipper to get out the big ones, and a vacuum pump for the smaller ones. The guard diver was kept quite busy with the Loggerhead turtle, who took it as his mission in life to crash the party.

In the early afternoon I got to do another dive in the Coral Reef exhibit. Happily, this time I was less concerned with the newness of it and more concerned with my diving. My buddy and I fed the exhibit; it is always just so much fun to see those critters eat! The Jacks, Honeycomb Eel, and Porcupinefish all get special attention (hand fed), and when they have feasted we try to be sure that the remainder of the fish get to eat, too. (The Jacks will steal anything from anybody if they can.)

After dinner we spent a half-hour or so cleaning in the exhibit, and then we got to play with the people. Little kids seem to be more fascinated with the divers than the fish, and we are encouraged to interact with all of the guests. So, we would play patty cake with the youngsters through the glass, and do all kinds of stuff to make them laugh.

A thoroughly enjoyable day.

Next time I get to dive the Amazon exhibit. The exhibit depicts a flooded rainforest. The tank contains 120,000 gallons of fresh water and approximately 25 species of fish (130 or so individuals.) I will be excited to swim with the Arapaima; it is the largest freshwater fish in the world (up to 10 feet and 400 pounds) and they look like dinosaurs.

Ray

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Thanks for the write up, sounds like you're having a great time! Have you tried the hokey pokey with the people? LOL!

Skirt patrol huh? I'd have loved to hear how you handled that job
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[dripdrypoet]

Skirt patrol huh? I'd have loved to hear how you handled that job
Ber :lilbunny:

Oh Ber, you know me. I doned my best "Ah Shucks, Ma'm" attitude, and told the fair lasses that they had to watch out for the goggle fish.