Climbing down the ladder, you step into chilly
saltwater. A sand tiger shark swims
below the ladder you are about to abandon. You hold on and wait until the
animal moves past. Step off and dip
below the surface. You shiver a little as the water hits the small of your
back. Slowly you descend to the
bottom. A green sea turtle glides to a
stop right in front of you. You realize
you are face-to- face with an endangered species. It checks you out, curious. Slowly, it swims
away.
This could be a description of an extraordinary day of
diving off the coast of North Carolina, yet it isn’t. In fact, this describes an ordinary day in
the Cape Fear Shoals exhibit at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Staff and nearly 80 volunteer divers share
similar experiences on a routine basis.
Diving at the Aquarium offers the opportunity to learn about
sea life from within a safe, controlled environment. When a sand tiger shark swims by you, you marvel
at its graceful motion. You are so close
you can see its muscles active under its velvet gray skin. The green moray eel occasionally comes out
from a crevice in the rock and glides past.
A look out the viewing windows into the Aquarium reveals the
wonder on the faces of the visitors as they observe the animals and divers. You
may think you would be self-conscious diving in front of a crowd of people. It
isn’t as daunting as it may seem. Their
excitement is evident. Divers help
visitors make a personal connection with the sea life.
Visiting the underwater world sparks the imagination. It helps people personalize an underwater
experience. It even makes some visitors
realize they could have a similar experience. Some even become volunteer
divers. You could be that next volunteer
diver if only you start to imagine it.
Click here for more information about volunteer diving.
