Diving With Whale Sharks in Downtown Atlanta
Diving with whale sharks and manta rays represent the pinnacle of big animal encounters. Divers often spend thousands of dollars traveling to destinations such as the Galapagos or Socorro island just just to have the possibility of seeing these creatures. There is an alternative, however, that costs just a little more than $300 and guarantees you will encounter not only whale sharks and manta rays, but hammerhead sharks, giant Napoleon wrasses and countless other species. And it is in downtown Atlanta, at the Georgia Aquarium.
This two-hour experience begins when you arrive in front of the Ocean Voyager exhibit, dive volunteers greet you and your group and welcome you to the Journey with the Gentle Giants program. One of six divemasters will begin your journey with a briefing and intro to your new world.
As you make your way topside of the football-field-size exhibit (this is the world’s largest aquarium), you realize that you are not in Kansas anymore. You see 25-foot Trixie, the largest of four whale sharks, glide through the water. Nandi (one of two manta rays) shows her impressive 11-foot wingspan and begins her acrobatic loops in the water almost as if saying Hello. You walk to the locker rooms to find a personalized locker with your wetsuit, boots, towel and even a bottle of water.
Most divers are used to setting up gear, breaking it down, lugging it from place to place, packing and unpacking wetsuits and fins. What if all of that was done for you and the only thing that was required of you was sliding into a wetsuit?
Now that everyone looks snazzy in their wetsuits, the other five divemasters meet you on deck. The lead, safety, and in house videographer brief you on what they expect in the water giving guidelines into a safe, exciting dive. It is a guided tour for the divers’ safety and the animals’ safety. The divers are in a two-by-two pattern as they snake through the water. While it is against Aquarium policy to touch, swim up to, or show any aggression towards the animals, it is not unusual to have extreme close encounters.
After the briefing, divers head to the dock for a quick photo because, as stated before, everyone looks so snazzy, and you’re job is to seat yourself in front of your gear and start donning fins. The shore tender will be behind you to help you into your gear. One at a time, the lead calls each diver into the 76 degree water. As divers descend the 20 feet to the videographer waiting below, the yellow pork fish begin to swarm, the female hammerhead comes to investigate and the pink whiptail ray rushes through the crowd.
“Is everyone okay?” the lead signals. “Buddy up, follow me.” Each team sets out behind the divemaster with the safety bringing up the rear. Making head way towards the acrylic underwater tunnel, you see some familiar faces. Family and friends! That’s right. Because the dive volunteers you met earlier escort dry guests through Ocean Voyager to ensure they enjoy the journey too.
As you drift over the tunnel down to the 30+foot end, Nandi begins playing in the bubbles, circling inches from divers’ heads, her wingtip playfully in your face. All of a sudden the divemaster signals for you to look over your head as Yushan (the largest male whale shark), dives down for a closer look. Coming to the front of the exhibit, once again those familiar faces appear as you approach the world’s second largest viewing window. 22 inches of acrylic hold back 6.3 million gallons of water. Flashes go off in the gallery as you become more popular than U2 and Bono. A smiling little girl wants to match hands on the acrylic with the divers. Friends and families, many who have never seen their diver in action, get to actually engage in the activity.
After the experience, divers surface still trying to get a final look. Moaning and grumbling like disgruntled kids, many make the comment “I don’t wanna leave. I’m not ready to get out. I still have air left.” The divemasters smile relating to the familiar feeling from the first time they dove Ocean Voyager and help the divers climb the ladder with one last look over the shoulder in hopes of seeing the gentle giants pass by one more time. They walk the gangway, peering over the sides and finally make their way to the rinse bins where there is yet another divemaster waiting to pull weights and help remove scuba gear.
Warm showers await post dive. The divers reunite with the dry guests they left behind and head back to their starting point where they have the opportunity to see their video shot merely a short while ago. The trip is finally complete as you receive a certificate with that beautimous photo you took earlier as well as a t-shirt stating “I Swam with Gentle Giants.”
Sounds like a dream come true, but what about those without a dive certification? For $225, non-divers can join in the same journey for a surface experience. Whale sharks pass within inches and swimmers are encircled by mullet, permits. Even Nandi heads to the surface to visit.
The Georgia Aquarium even has valet swimming. As an added benefit, proceeds from the program go into the Aquarium’s 4R program — Rescue, Research, Rehabilitation and Responsibility. Animals throughout the Aquarium have benefited from this program as the Aquarium continues efforts of education and conservation.
Valet scuba, guaranteed whale sharks, aiding the environment through 4R, and spending the day at the world’s largest aquarium (entry included for your dive) all for a “won’t break the bank” price sound like a plan to me.
There are two events each weekday (a dive and swim) and three on on Saturday and Sunday (two dives and a swim), 365 day a year. Group rates are available for dive shops and special events. For more information on how you can dive or swim with these gentle giants, visit the Georgia Aquarium website.
Author Devan Fleming is a PADI Divemaster and NSS-CDS Cave Diver. In addition to working as a guide and videographer at the Georgia Aquarium, she is the lead singer in a local band in her home town of Columbus Georgia. When she isn’t diving in the aquarium, you are likely to find her exploring one of north-central Florida’s many underwater caves.