Can’t get to the ocean for some snorkeling or SCUBA diving this summer? Have no fear — aquariums are here! Aquariums around the United States offer snorkeling and diving opportunities within their tanks, so you can dive right in and get up close to marine life during a visit.
The Florida Aquarium in Tampa offers several swim and dive programs from which to choose, so choose which marine life you would like to swim with and jump right in! Water enthusiasts ages 6 and over can Swim with the Fishes above a replica of the Dry Tortugas, one of the most vibrant reef systems found in the Florida Keys. Or, for those seeking more thrills, opt for the Shark Swim (ages 9 and over), or even Dive with the Sharks (ages 15 and over) and count just how many teeth are in the aquarium’s sand tiger sharks.
Swim with a different breed of sharks — whale sharks — at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Here, swimmers 12 and older can join the gentle giants in the aquarium’s Ocean Voyager exhibit, where they’ll float at the water’s surface and watch the sharks effortlessly swim by below. Or, don your SCUBA diving gear (12 and older) and settle on the bottom of the exhibit and watch the largest fish on earth from below. You will also be amongst zebra sharks, sawfish, manta rays and plenty more, so keep your eyes wide open.
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One of the many cool things at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California is it encompasses the bay into its educational exhibits. Curious kids between the ages of 8 and 13 can dive right in with Underwater Explorers, during which they will go surface SCUBA diving with the aquarium’s leadership-level dive staff. All kids need to bring along is a sense of adventure.
Try out cage diving at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Wash., during which time you’ll be nose-to-nose with more than a dozen sharks while at the same time learning about their biology and efforts to conserve the majestic fish. SCUBA divers and non-divers alike, ages 8 and up, will submerge into 225,000 gallons of 74-degree water, wearing a dry-suit to keep their street clothes perfectly dry.
Go on, dive into these fun underwater opportunities.
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