Animal Keepers Summer Camp: Private Dive Show

As this week's summer camp sessions wrap up, campers were thrilled to get a chance to see their very own PRIVATE dive show. Behind the scenes, summer campers saw how the divers prepare the for the show and interact with animals in the Cape Fear Shoals tank. During the show, campers "talked"  with divers while they were in the water.

For many campers, this was one of their favorite activities of the week. In their own words, campers explain why they enjoyed the dive show.

"[My favorite activity was] watching the fish. I liked seeing people dive in the water with them." -Kailei
"Seeing our own private dive show [was my favorite activity] because it was interesting." -Madison
"I liked seeing the dive show because it was our very own!" -Anna
"I liked seeing the diver because all the fish were like really close to him." -Parker
"I liked seeing the scuba divers because we got to go to the very top [of the tank]." -Madison

The Heart of a Diver

When most people think of divers they think of mystery people in shiny black suits, but for one 15-year-old boy, the divers at the Aquarium at Fort Fisher were much more. While visiting the Aquarium with his mother, Scott was given an amazing surprise from a diver in the Cape Fear Shoals tank. While peering into the 235,000 gallon tank at the Aquarium, Scott was greeted by a diver who pretended to be ‘Spiderman’ by crouching upside down in front of the glass. The diver also placed his hand on the glass, which Scott mimicked with great excitement. This small interaction meant wonders to Scott, who is Autistic. He loves scuba divers and now thanks to the Aquarium staff he holds a special place in his heart for these underwater heroes.

Generally lingering behind the scenes or deep in tanks, divers keep a low profile (most days). Yet their hearts may be bigger than their appearance around the Aquarium. Each day, divers complete two dive shows at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm where they talk to the public from inside the Cape Fear Shoals tank. This is one of the greatest moments for young children who are offered the opportunity to ask the divers any question they want. Although this is just another task in the daily life of a diver, Scott’s memorable story proves that our divers take pride in the magnitude of joy and excitement they bring to people visiting the Aquarium.