When I informed my children that I'd be swimming with the sharks at the Georgia Aquarium they were initially impressed, and then the questions started...How many sharks? Who else has done this? What if they bite you? How long will you be in there? Do they feed them before you get in? All good questions indeed. The short answer to everything is "Yes, it's safe." These are whale sharks, they eat krill and such the 300-pound grouper might want to take a nibble, but with dive masters as personal escorts, there is no room for error...or petting fish or any monkey business in general.
Gussied up in my wetsuit, snorkel and oxygen tank (optional), I take the plunge into the pool....first impression? It's COLD. I thought this was a tropical tank? We begin by swimming across the back of the tank and heading for the main tunnel. Visitors linger below...I spy my children and husband (snapping away with the camera). I wave thinking surely they cannot see me, or even recognize me in this get-up...but they do, their arms pumping wildly. My littlest one is literally jumping up and down...mommy is in the tank with the fish. And it is weird. I'm so busy admiring my family below that I fail to notice the gray and white barge headed my way. A squeeze on my arm from the dive master saves my skin as I paddle to the side, making way. Trixie glides by, sleek and wonderful. So it continues, whale sharks drift along, hammerheads below, schools of trevally descend upon me, the whole experience is akin to floating in a silent magical world. In a nutshell, give this experience to any jaded teenager, as an extraordinary gift to a special person or to yourself as a reward for having made it this far in life. An unforgettable marine experience awaits right here in downtown Atlanta.
The FACTS:
Maximum Swimmers: 6, $190 for 30 minutes, 10% discount for members, must be 12 years and older to swim or dive.
CONTACT: 404-581-4000 or
www.georgiaaquarium.org
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