Aquarium Diving

[tursiops]

I dive every other Weds in the National Aquarium (Baltimore) and have for over 7 years. Nice to get wet over the winter! The dive team is fun, the work is not hard, and you feel like you are useful and doing something worthwhile. We can take in guest divers (family, friends) on an occasional basis.

There is also a pay-to-dive program (as already mentioned) one day a week or so. People seem to really like it. The interaction with the fishes (and a few small sharks, rays, and a couple of good size green morays) is far more intense and interesting than you get on a reef.

 

[kwinter]

We did the Adventure Aquarium in Camden NJ - I was a bit disappointed - snorkel only and they kept you away from the sharks. My kids enjoyed it but I wanted to actually swim in the tank. You got close up to 10 - 14 foot sharks but you were on a walkway that circled the top of the tank that was maybe 3 feet deep and a rail that kept the sharks out of the walkway. It was fun to say we did it - but I would not go back unless I could dive in the tank. They did let you feed stingrays off to the side which was fun too.

That's why it's called "Swim with Sharks" instead of diving. And the sharks do occasionally go into that walkway, but the DMs have PVC poles to keep them away from the guests. And don't forget about the ray experience at the end of the walkway.

We used to have a guest dive program for a fee, and volunteers used to be able to bring their own guest divers in once a year. That all changed a while ago but might come back in the future. News crews are still brought in to dive occasionally, and Mike Rowe did a few dives for Dirty Jobs and for a Shark Week show.

If you're within driving distance of Philly/Camden, we are always looking for volunteers. Go to NJAAS.org for info.


Please pardon any typos. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dmoore19]

I have been in the aquarium in Denver. I liked it and would do it again. 175 is a little steep but if you are landlocked and want to dive some salt water it could be worth it. The reason it was listed as Littleton is because the dive shop that has the program is in Littleton. I went with the fish dive not the sharks. It is kind of fun being in the tank and waving at the little kids when they are walking through the acrylic tube.

Got this picture there. +/-400 lb Queensland Grouper.

 

[terrylowe]

I dove Epcot Dive Quest. The backstage tour alone was worth it. The dive was certainly entertaining, but my favorite part was interacting with the children who were watching us through the glass

 

[dytis-sm]

I have been a dive volunteer at AOP for about seven months now. Obviously the experience is completely different that diving as a guest since you get to interact with the animals. Feeding the fish is an experience that is a lot different that just observing them. Of course you have to to scrub and clean exhibits, but along the way you learn so much about the "residents" that you normally will not experience on a open ocean dive. When I started I had no idea how much fun aquarium diving can be. As a matter of fact I look forward to each one of my shifts since I am guaranteed great weather, absolutely perfect viz, lots of fish and some new experience from the residents.

BTW, the Aquarium of the Pacific is always looking for diver volunteers and the positions are in great demand. For anyone interested here are some more info: https://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/ap?AP=298542062

 

[RDRINK25]

If anyone on SB is here to dive the Georgia Aquarium, I'd be glad to meet up with you for a beer, as I live very nearby. I'd volunteer there if I only didn't have this regular job thing. Volunteers do not get to dive for free, though.

I've never been tempted to do the $335 dive. Since my wife would want to dive with me, that's a lot of money, and we'd rather budget that kind of money for a dive vacation.

Live in ATL area and Volunteer at the GAQ. You have to have a total of 50 hrs before you can apply to go behind the scenes to be in the dive program. Once you have meet the 50hrs you can take a swim test. Which is not easy... Then you have to pay a $350 physical exam fee with their doctor. Now you become a volunteer diver in the World's largest Aquarium! The fee is waived the following year for the med exam if you keep up your hrs. I must say the dive for $325 is worth it as my wife and I did the dive before I was a volunteer. Where else can you dive for 30 min with 4 whale sharks, 4 manta's, black tips, sand bars, multiple rays, giant grouper, zebra sharks, guitar fish, wobbegongs, eagle rays, and countless other fish.


BTW the TN aquarium has a Dive volunteer program that is not too bad as well.

 

[Steve_C]

Dove Epcot. Aquarium is large enough that i did not feel so much like I was in a tank as in a flooded street with walls on either side. Tank is very spacious. You are free to roam where you want. Couple DMs hang up a bit and watch folks. So no need to buddy if you are solo as I was. Couple large sand tigers. They swim a route. I would see one coming up from behind, go up a few feet, and it would slide under me. Reminded me of diving off NC.

Back stage tour was interesting. After gearing up you walk through an upper viewing area which got some kids excited. Fun to go to the big glass portals and wave to kids eating their dinners.

Up close the "coral" looks fakey but fish life is real and pleasant to watch.

Given you are there anyway price is not too bad. When you leave you are in Epcot so you can see that as part of the admission if you want. You enter from outside of Epcot. If you have a young just certified diver it is a fun place to take them.

 

[tplyons]

There is also a pay-to-dive program (as already mentioned) one day a week or so. People seem to really like it. The interaction with the fishes (and a few small sharks, rays, and a couple of good size green morays) is far more intense and interesting than you get on a reef.

I did the pay-to-dive program at the National Aquarium and had a blast -- but wouldn't do it again. I believe we arrived about 11:00 for a 1:00 session, got shown around the area we would be diving, sitting through a presentation about what we would be seeing and how to dive with certain animals, and then proceeded to the dive... we were about an hour behind schedule all the time, and were using all rental gear except for our wetsuits, masks, fins, and gloves.

The entire process was fascinating; but with a limited area in the Atlantic Coral Reef tank our hour long dive, I really ran out of things to look at and enjoy after about 30 minutes... so I spent the rest of the time making faces at little kids.

But I got the C-Card and the memory. I'd love to volunteer at an Aquarium ... I actually have a couple guys that I dive with regularly that dive with the NY Aquarium dive team, but I can't commit to the amount of time that they need. Maybe one day.

 

[crosshairs]

If you're within driving distance of Philly/Camden, we are always looking for volunteers. Go to NJAAS.org for info.

The link says Volunteer applications are currently not being accepted..

 

[JohnN]

A friend of mine posted something about Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, which had me go visit their site. I found out that there is a package you can dive in Shark Reef. For $650! (Two people for $1,000 a comparative bargain.) For me, I have to fly to Vegas and get a hotel, so we'll call that equal: that cost of diving would allow me to dive, with a decent tip- for 7 days in Cozumel. I know it is supply/demand but that amount just seems crazy.

Anyhow- I had previously heard about Epcot's Dive Quest, and was wondering what other aquariums have diving. I mean- the idea of being in the aquarium just seems really cool, especially the chance to view the guests from the other side of the glass, not to mention all the wildlife that will be in there.

Here's what I found (all really expensive, but not at all compared to Mandalay Bay!)
Epcot Dive Quest- 3 hour program, 40 minute dive, $175
Georgia State Aquarium with Whale Sharks- 2.5 hour program, 30 minute dive, $334.95
Littleton, Colorado, choose with fish or with sharks it seems- ?, ?, $185
Florida Aquarium, Tampa- ?, 30 minute dive, $175
Long Island Aquarium, Shark dive- ?, ? $165
National Aquarium, Maryland- 3 hour program, 45 minute dive, $195
Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach- 2.5 hour program, ? dive, $299

Have you ever dove in an aquarium? Was it "worth it"?

A relative bargain out here in Oar-eee-gon @ $149:

• One dive in the 26 foot (7.9 m) deep Halibut Flats Exhibit surrounded by Rockfish, Halibut, Skates and Sturgeon.
• One dive on the observation ledge of our Open Sea exhibit with hundreds of sharks, including our Broadnose Sevengill Sharks up to 10 feet (3 m) in length!
• Aquarium Admission Entry Pass which you may use for yourself or give away.
• Behind the Scenes Tour of Passages of the Deep.
• Fish ID training session.
• Cylinder and weights
• Photograph

Or you can wait for the DUI tour and do it for about $25 (IIRC)