The Aquarium diver

[sharkbait19912]

That sounds like a lot of work. I have have no sympathy to offer, but plenty of jealousy. I worked at the Oregon Coast Aquarium for several years, but it was before they had a diver program. I can't wait to read more about your adventures in the magizine.

 

[Pat Gilbert]

You are a very good writer, Shipwrekd, and I've really enjoyed your posts the last few days that I have been visiting these boards. It must be quite a thrill to dive with such a motley crew of fish, especially 10+ foot tigers! Shark diving is one of the main reasons that I'm getting my certs this spring and I'm planning a white shark cage dive trip next year (Isla Guadalupe.) I'm also considering going back to college and majoring in zoology; I'm also fascinated with the big cats, wolves, apes, etc.etc. Some day I hope to be able to live in or near a city that hosts such fine aquariums as the one you work with in NJ. Not many aquariums in Arkansas!

Thanks for sharing your 'encounters' and I'm looking forward to more in the future.

 

[Shiprekd]

Thanks for the compliments Pat, Shark....

Except for a few awesome dives in Grand Cayman, and a few other islands, I think almost all of my "memorable" dives have been in the Aq. - You learn so much and become such a better diver from being there. Volunteer at an Aq. with a diver program and you'll never regret it.

 

[Sharkbait44]

I can tell you it is the best job in the world, I work at the Blue Planet Aquarium in Chester in the UK. We have a very similar set up, although one main difference is that we dive in wetsuits all year around, which means that we can wear fins too, there's nothing quite like finning along at eye level with one of our Sand Tigers grinning back at you. Another big difference is the allowing of the public to go divng with the sharks, we run evenings for non-divers, for qualified divers and also a shark speciality course, teaching you all you need to know as well as a dive in our exhibit. It's a hard life, but someone has to do it.

See you in the blue.

 

[sharky60]

Hey man, thanks for sharing, sounds like a great gig!

I'm a volunteer diver at the Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park, Dallas, Texas
( the city's aquarium). Unfortunately they don't let us dive with the sharks, the tank is only about 5' deep by 6-8' front to back by about 20-25' long, I keep trying to talk them into letting me give it a whirl, but they're not buying it yet. Maybe if we get our expansion ever done we'll have a tank big enough for us to dive with the sharks.

We do our diving in the 'Flooded Amazon Rainforest' exibit, a 12,000 gal. tank with about 2000 total fish including 2-3' armored catfish and 3-40lb. Pacu, ( a fish related to piranah, but vegetarians). We do feeding and maintenance dives also.

Just curious, why clean up the leftovers, the fish should do that. Is it to help keep the tank clean or a way of monitoring what the fish are eating? If we have any uneaten scraps we just leave them in the tank, the fish will get to it.

when the aq is open to the public do you guys put on any type of 'show'? we go in with a full faced mask that has a mic in it and headphones so we can talk to the guests and answer any questions they might have.