Has anyone participated in the "Dive with the Gentle Giants" program at GA?
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mike_s
Contributor
Saltwater Junky
Contributor
For about $800-900 more you can fly to Cancun and stay a week and get 10 dives in along with swimming with the gentle giants.
mike_s
Contributor
We happened to be there on Sunday (I was actually there for the volunteer orientation), and spent a few hours in the aquarium afterward.
We saw the "swimmers" in the Ocean Voyager tank with the whale sharks, and judging by the looks of awe when we saw them pass overhead (we were watching from the "tunnel") the cost of the dive wasn't a second thought once they were in.
Even though this was the swim group (as opposed to dive), they were all in what looked like Zeagle Rapid-Diver gear (regs and chest mount tanks). The guides kept them in a group, on the surface, and non-provocative... the whale sharks (and rest of the critters) hardly noticed them, and certainly didn't seem any more nervous, or disturbed by their presence.
The aquarium did lose two of their whale sharks early on, Ralph and Norton. The last being exactly one year ago today. However, Trixie, Alice (two of the original four whale sharks), Yushan, and Taroko have been doing fine for the past year (damned sight longer than one of my kids' last six goldfish).
Whole lot of people don't realize what the aquarium does, in terms of husbandry, research, breeding, etc., and it's potential global impact unless you've been there... It's an education.
Just reported today:
Endangered sea dragon at Ga. aquarium pregnant - - MSNBC.com
We saw the "swimmers" in the Ocean Voyager tank with the whale sharks, and judging by the looks of awe when we saw them pass overhead (we were watching from the "tunnel") the cost of the dive wasn't a second thought once they were in.
Even though this was the swim group (as opposed to dive), they were all in what looked like Zeagle Rapid-Diver gear (regs and chest mount tanks). The guides kept them in a group, on the surface, and non-provocative... the whale sharks (and rest of the critters) hardly noticed them, and certainly didn't seem any more nervous, or disturbed by their presence.
The aquarium did lose two of their whale sharks early on, Ralph and Norton. The last being exactly one year ago today. However, Trixie, Alice (two of the original four whale sharks), Yushan, and Taroko have been doing fine for the past year (damned sight longer than one of my kids' last six goldfish).
Whole lot of people don't realize what the aquarium does, in terms of husbandry, research, breeding, etc., and it's potential global impact unless you've been there... It's an education.
Just reported today:
Endangered sea dragon at Ga. aquarium pregnant - - MSNBC.com
twashowich
Guest
It's funny to see what you people say about the Georgia Aquarium here and other forums....I will not state my opinions of your thoughts unless asked...but you guys really need to know facts before stating your opinions on what you tell people...
First of crappy gear.....????? You kidding me? It is the best gear money can buy!! ALL BRAND NEW Scuba Pro set ups....
As for taking your own gear..IT IS liability...and it is about the health of the exhibit....EVERTHING there gets Virkon rinsed.....because they are used in other exhibits, the tanks, the surface supplied equipment, the wetsuits and regs and BC (if they go to other exhibits)....If they stay in the exhibit and never leave they are just freshwater rinsed.
If you brought your own gear, who knows what is on it then you can infect the exhibit...PLUS the dive locker there has their own crew that repairs, maintains, etc...and they are certified repair employees for Scuba Pro equipment.
The standard issue GAI gear is Halcyon BC's and Scuba Pro G250 regs for volunteers and employees....far from crappy!
Dive program used regular Scuba Pro BC's
As for maintaining the health of the exhibit and keeping the animals alive....GIVE ME A BREAK....
These biologists are the best the world has to offer and these animals are cared for better than anyplace else or in the wild....The food in case you want to know is RESTAURANT quality..that we we can eat it as well....
I can go on and on...but it really gets old watching people that are not informed and have never even seen it make judgments of something they know nothing about.
As for the dive length...It 30 to 40 minutes, not 20...
Ask me anything else if you want real facts and straight answers.
Todd
Georgia Aquarium Diver
First of crappy gear.....????? You kidding me? It is the best gear money can buy!! ALL BRAND NEW Scuba Pro set ups....
As for taking your own gear..IT IS liability...and it is about the health of the exhibit....EVERTHING there gets Virkon rinsed.....because they are used in other exhibits, the tanks, the surface supplied equipment, the wetsuits and regs and BC (if they go to other exhibits)....If they stay in the exhibit and never leave they are just freshwater rinsed.
If you brought your own gear, who knows what is on it then you can infect the exhibit...PLUS the dive locker there has their own crew that repairs, maintains, etc...and they are certified repair employees for Scuba Pro equipment.
The standard issue GAI gear is Halcyon BC's and Scuba Pro G250 regs for volunteers and employees....far from crappy!
Dive program used regular Scuba Pro BC's
As for maintaining the health of the exhibit and keeping the animals alive....GIVE ME A BREAK....
These biologists are the best the world has to offer and these animals are cared for better than anyplace else or in the wild....The food in case you want to know is RESTAURANT quality..that we we can eat it as well....
I can go on and on...but it really gets old watching people that are not informed and have never even seen it make judgments of something they know nothing about.
As for the dive length...It 30 to 40 minutes, not 20...
Ask me anything else if you want real facts and straight answers.
Todd
Georgia Aquarium Diver
To further expand on Todd's post (and in the process, hopefully enlighten those that "guess" as opposed to "know") about the GA processes --
- Over half a ton of food is prepared for all the "marine residents" the very morning of the day it's fed to them... 365 days/year. Policy is so stringent that a single abrasion or scratch on any of the feed items disqualifies that item, and it's immediately tossed. I daresay that requirement goes *beyond* restaurant quality.
- The water supplies in the exhibits are tested over 1,700 times every week. Some of the testing equipment is so state of the art that it's not yet available on the commercial market, but has been supplied to GA prior to release as a courtesy given GA's stature.
- The husbandry and research lab is larger by a factor of 10 than the standard lab to aquarium ratio in other aquariums.
- I'm not sure where the statement "...do they still insist that you use their crappy gear..." comes from, since the dive/swim program had it's maiden visitors all of two weeks ago, and the equipment is both brand new, and high end.
Bottom line, don't speculate if you don't know. Visit the aquarium, or better yet, take a 'behind-the-scenes-tour" and get a better perspective on the time, care, and effort taken to care for these animals. You'll find it remarkable. It's exactly the reason I decided to join the volunteer program.
- Over half a ton of food is prepared for all the "marine residents" the very morning of the day it's fed to them... 365 days/year. Policy is so stringent that a single abrasion or scratch on any of the feed items disqualifies that item, and it's immediately tossed. I daresay that requirement goes *beyond* restaurant quality.
- The water supplies in the exhibits are tested over 1,700 times every week. Some of the testing equipment is so state of the art that it's not yet available on the commercial market, but has been supplied to GA prior to release as a courtesy given GA's stature.
- The husbandry and research lab is larger by a factor of 10 than the standard lab to aquarium ratio in other aquariums.
- I'm not sure where the statement "...do they still insist that you use their crappy gear..." comes from, since the dive/swim program had it's maiden visitors all of two weeks ago, and the equipment is both brand new, and high end.
Bottom line, don't speculate if you don't know. Visit the aquarium, or better yet, take a 'behind-the-scenes-tour" and get a better perspective on the time, care, and effort taken to care for these animals. You'll find it remarkable. It's exactly the reason I decided to join the volunteer program.
Outstanding Todd! $300 is reasonable if you consider the care and upkeep it takes for the wonderful animals that are housed there. Think of it as a donation if nothing else.
I went to Epcot with my daughter. She had a blast. Me too....I was not sure how I would like it. I thought it would be a little tame for my taste. But I had a great time. Especially seeing how my baby girl was enjoying being there. The dive was 40 min we used good Scuba pro sets. So I look forward to the opportunity to dive with the Giants in the Ga. Aquarium. I can only imagine how much fun that would be.
OPIE1979
Guest
A girl I work with's fiance is a volunteer there, and during the press dive she got to dive with the whale sharks, the sparkle in her eye and the many times she talks about it tells me it might be worth it. She just got back from the Great Barrier Reef too, and she talks more about her tub dive...lol
deco_martini
Contributor
Or for 300 dollars, you can take a day off work and see them in ultraclear water with scuba gear on and see all sorts of Pacific sharks and rays as well. The water in atlanta is also safe to drink.
I do like sitting in the Cancun airport on my way back from Cozumel and seeing all the white trash american tourists with their marijuana t-shirts, sombreros, bad sunburns, and jamaican hair braids heading back and glad they splurged on Cancun instead of going to Hot Springs again this year. I like it when they are wearing cancun hats they bought in a gift shop to prove they had really been there. Cancun is the equivalent of the French Riviera in trailer park culture.
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