Georgia Aquarium dive, worth it?

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melfox26

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Location
Tracy, CA
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I'll be in Atlanta for a conference. Looking at the Georgia Aquarium's website, for $300, divers can get into the tank and dive with the whale shark. Has anyone here ever done that dive and can you recommend it or not?

I know, it's touristy, blah blah. But, short of going on a dive trip to Utila, I can't see ever having another opportunity to get in the water with one of these creatures.


Thanks in advance.
 
I didn't do Georgia aquarium, I dove the Epcot aquarium while on a Disney family vaction. It was $200.00. I would definetly do it again. Thought it would be cheezy but wanted to dive. Georgia aquarium is even bigger than Epcot. You should do it. Don't think you'll be dissapointed. Especially if you're skeptical going in to it.
 
It's about $300.

It cost me about $30 to see one swim past the Oriskany in the Gulf last year, but I'm betting the viz is WAY better in the aquarium. :wink:

Still, if I had an extra $300 to burn, I'd take a cavern class :eyebrow:
 
$300 is 2 trips to Mexico where they swim free. I was recently in Atlanta at the aquarium and got to watch a group of divers in the big tank. There's definitley plenty to see there and their tank is huge. If you don't think you'll get a chance to see them in the wild then go for it.
 
I did it and it was great. However, you do only get about 30 minutes in the water and it is a follow the leader thing. I remember thinking snorkelers who paid alot less probably got to see more of the whale sharks because they mostly stayed shallow while divers were in the water. Of course they may stay deeper while snorkelers are on top of the water. There are so many unique things in the aquarium that would might not see in a lifetime of diving, so I do think it was worth it. Be aware that people book this a year in advance it might not be available. You'll probably have better luck on a weekday. I couldn't get reservations but was going to the aquarium anyway and checked by the desk to see if they had an cancellations and they had a last minute opening because someone was running late.
 
I did it back in May. It was a fun dive but the DM's don't really let you get even close to the whale sharks - for their protection of course. We did spend some time playing with the mantas though. Well worth the cost. The only thing I did not like about it was that you had to stay together as a group. At Epcot they let us buddy up and explore on our own, not so at the Georgia Aquarium.
 
I did it back in July. I'd say it was well worth the $300, but once was enough for me. The thing I was most impressed with is how they treated my guests. Both my wife's family and my family came to watch, 8 people total. They all got somewhat of a behind the scenes tour. It wasn't as long or as comprehensive as what you would pay $50 for, but for much of their time they were following the actual tour around. When it came time for me to be in the water, my family was escorted to the window and the tunnel and other guests were moved out of the way so they could sit at the glass. The employees and volunteers were friendly and professional and run the whole day like clockwork. They really make you feel like a VIP.

One thing they said, which I hadn't really appreciated, is that the GA aquarium along with the swim and dive program, are non-profit. So it's not like the $300 is going into someone's pocket, it goes to further the program.
 
Please remember there is nothing wrong with money going into people's pockets. That's how we all eat and can afford to dive in the first place. Particularly dive ops need money in their pockets or us rec divers will be stranded on shore.
 

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