DukeAMO
Contributor
DH and I hadn't been able to dive for a few months, so when we decided to go to Atlanta over New Year's to meet up with some friends, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to dive in the Georgia Aquarium and get our diving fix. Yes, it is definitely the most expensive dive we'll ever do, but boy was it great! What a way to start out the new year.
Log book entry:
Dive 28 January 1, 2014 GA Aquarium - Whale Shark Specialty
Visibility 200 ft
Temp 70 air, 77 surface, 77 bottom
3mm wetsuit, reef gloves, salt water, steel 85s, boots, controlled environment
Max depth 31 feet, 48 minutes
This was a fantastic, relaxing, and exciting dive. The aquarium staff takes care of everything for you, and their equipment is top-notch and practically new. You start out in their classroom next to the big tank, which is about the length of a football field and 30 feet deep. There you meet the other divers, learn a bit about the creatures in the tank, and go over the rules of the aquarium (hands off the animals). In the water, we had six divers, two DM/instructors, and one diver filming everything for the DVD. It was nice to get back in the water! We had many close encounters with sharks, rays (including a huge manta ray that seems to enjoy flipping in divers' bubbles), and groupers, as well as many colorful smaller fish. Interacting with the aquarium visitors is fun too. You can see them when they're going through the tunnel at the bottom of the tank, and at the huge 3-story window at one end of the tank. One guy proposed to his girlfriend right after the dive; that was sweet. After diving, everybody gets a nice hot shower, and then you return to the classroom to discuss the dive, watch your DVD and get a T-shirt.
The two of us did the whale shark specialty too (hey, if you're spending a zillion dollars, what's a few more?). We spent extra time at 8 feet for the whale shark specialty, with many close encounters with those amazing creatures. The DM tells you where to wait for the next one to come by. A whale shark actually pushed me a bit with its pectoral fin. The whale shark specialty also involves a behind-the-scenes tour of the aquarium: the massive pumps, science facilities, animal care facilities, and so on. It's pretty high-tech. You get to watch them feeding the whale sharks from boats on the surface too; they feed each one individually to make sure they get a proper diet.
I still have mixed feelings about keeping anything as large as a whale shark in captivity, but you can't deny that all of the aquarium's visitors leave with a better appreciation for these stately animals. I can only hope to see one in the wild someday!
Log book entry:
Dive 28 January 1, 2014 GA Aquarium - Whale Shark Specialty
Visibility 200 ft
Temp 70 air, 77 surface, 77 bottom
3mm wetsuit, reef gloves, salt water, steel 85s, boots, controlled environment
Max depth 31 feet, 48 minutes
This was a fantastic, relaxing, and exciting dive. The aquarium staff takes care of everything for you, and their equipment is top-notch and practically new. You start out in their classroom next to the big tank, which is about the length of a football field and 30 feet deep. There you meet the other divers, learn a bit about the creatures in the tank, and go over the rules of the aquarium (hands off the animals). In the water, we had six divers, two DM/instructors, and one diver filming everything for the DVD. It was nice to get back in the water! We had many close encounters with sharks, rays (including a huge manta ray that seems to enjoy flipping in divers' bubbles), and groupers, as well as many colorful smaller fish. Interacting with the aquarium visitors is fun too. You can see them when they're going through the tunnel at the bottom of the tank, and at the huge 3-story window at one end of the tank. One guy proposed to his girlfriend right after the dive; that was sweet. After diving, everybody gets a nice hot shower, and then you return to the classroom to discuss the dive, watch your DVD and get a T-shirt.
The two of us did the whale shark specialty too (hey, if you're spending a zillion dollars, what's a few more?). We spent extra time at 8 feet for the whale shark specialty, with many close encounters with those amazing creatures. The DM tells you where to wait for the next one to come by. A whale shark actually pushed me a bit with its pectoral fin. The whale shark specialty also involves a behind-the-scenes tour of the aquarium: the massive pumps, science facilities, animal care facilities, and so on. It's pretty high-tech. You get to watch them feeding the whale sharks from boats on the surface too; they feed each one individually to make sure they get a proper diet.
I still have mixed feelings about keeping anything as large as a whale shark in captivity, but you can't deny that all of the aquarium's visitors leave with a better appreciation for these stately animals. I can only hope to see one in the wild someday!
