Well I did both dives and no limbs lost. :fish: I think my favorite dive was actually the fish tank because you could swim more and check out things on your own. There were 6 people and they split us into two groups, 4 people in the tank at a time which included an A-1 DM (nice that it wasn't too many). They have 9 huge Green Morays, a huge turtle, nurse sharks, stingrays, variety of very inquisitive fish (probably the closest to my face I've ever seen) and the biggest 250 pound grouper I'll probably ever see. We were told he rules the tank and he definitly did, you move for him. I kept swimming quite a bit but it was fun to wave to little kids through the glass(they really got excited to be singled out) and I had family watching and taking photos on the other side.
Then I did the shark dive.
They have around 20 sharks, all different sizes and varieties, some with serious teeth. On this dive it was me and two other people plus the DM. They brief you in front of the exhibit so you get a feel for where you'll be going.
The entrance into the tank did not induce any worries, it was actually very easy. You descend between the glass and fake coral in part of the exhibit away from the sharks. Then you go through a swim through where you come out on the bottom and immediatly take your place with your back to the wall. The best way I can describe it is kind of like a swim up bar where you kneel and rest your arms/hands on the top of a short wall. The sharks are swimming in front of you, right by you and above you. I really didn't feel the adrenaline rush I thought I would but it was still enjoyable to be that close. The drawback is it's not as exciting because you can't swim and you are pretty far from the glass so there's little interaction with the people on the other side.
We swam along this wall/shelf closer to the glass for a different view. There are 3 huge turtles and one of them was suddenly right in my face. Of course my camera failed to take the photo, it was underexposed and unprintable! He then went behind me and was hanging out on my legs. There was one point when a smaller shark with no visible teeth circled 4 times swimming closer each time checking me out. He was probably 2-3 feet away from my face. Then we headed back to the coral area where the fish hang out in the exhibit, there was a decent sized Puffer that was really interested in checking me out too.
It was cool how close and comfortable all the creatures seemed to be with divers, you aren't allowed to touch them obviously for their and your safety. It was fun to see the behind the scenes care and all. The staff from A-1 and the Aquarium were great as usual. I should have taken my own digital underwater camera instead of paying twice for disposable cameras. The shots would have had much better color, zoom and more space with my own camera for less money. They DO let you take photos with a regular flash in BOTH tanks, just no external strobes. Also, not aware of any dive experience requirements. As far as I know, you just have to be certified. They do make you flood and clear your mask and breathe off your alternate while recovering your regulator to make sure you can do those skills. They are very careful about contamination (especially between dives), you wear a full 3-5mil suit provided by A-1/Aquarium in addition to gloves and hoods.
I'll try to get my digital and non-digital shots up soon. It was expensive but a fun experience and will have to stand in as a mini vacation for now. You get free parking, free appetizer (still not real impressed with restaurant though), two admissions to exhibits, shirts and more. It might make you want to volunteer to clean the tanks....:diver:
