If you've read any of my previous Equinox blogs or are friends with me on social media, you're probably aware that I love to swim. I enjoy it so much that I installed a pool in my backyard, so I could maximize my time in the water. This past year, I decided to take that love of swimming to a whole new level. This summer, my husband, son, and I earned our open water diver certification from PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors). Believe it or not, my love for swimming was not the primary driver in becoming scuba certified. Instead the desire to share a special experience with my family is what propelled me toward this goal.
In Tennessee, your 16th birthday signals that you are eligible to obtain a driver's license. Therefore, it's often celebrated as a milestone birthday. My son turned 16 this past weekend, so we celebrated by swimming side by side with over 5,000 sea creatures, several of whom are over 30 feet long. It was truly awesome!
After seeing divers in action last year, my son declared an interest in scuba. And that's how this whole birthday experience began. My husband researched the trip and got us all enrolled in a local certification program earlier this year. It was a great adventure from the very start!
The Georgia Aquarium's Journey with Gentle Giants is the only program in the world that guarantees you are diving with and will see whale sharks and manta rays. The Ocean Voyager exhibit at the Georgia Aquarium holds 6.3 million gallons of water, has a maximum depth of 33 feet, and is home to over five thousand fish including whale sharks (the largest fish in the world), zebra sharks, sawfish, leopard whiprays, bowmouth guitarfish, humphead wrasses, pompano, blacktip reef shark, sandbar shark, and several species of rays. In addition to the dive, we opted to obtain the PADI Manta Ray Distinctive Specialty Certification as part of our experience, which included academic and observation components, along with up-close encounters in the water with the mantas.
During the dive, I personally encountered schools of beautiful yellow porkfish, the giant grouper, at least three species of shark, all four of the manta rays, a longcomb sawfish, the pointed-nose stingray, and Ocean Voyager's all four whale sharks. I was also able to see out the two and a half feet thick observation windows where family and friends gathered to watch their loved one's dive.
The coolest (and most intimidating!) animal encounter was when the habitat's solitary green sea turtle swam directly underneath me and emerged right in front of my face. He weighs over 400 pounds, so it frightened me how easily he snuck up on me! By far though, my favorite part of this event was being able to dive with my husband and our son on his actual birthday. Beyond the beauty of the sea creatures and habitat, it was awesome to watch them both as they explored the Ocean Voyager's floor. What a great day!
About the Author — Amy Oldham is Technical Writer at Equinox Information Systems. To learn more about Equinox, visit equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.