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Dive in the tanks at Walt Disney World!
AngelFish - 3/21/2007 12:00 AM
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Category: Travel
Comments: 2
Epcot Center allows divers to go into their tanks during business hours! It`s said you will see more and experience more in the time you are in the tank, than you would in weeks or even months diving off shore somewhere! How cool is this?! http://www.charel.com/diving/WDW.html http://scuba.about.com/od/divetravel/a/scubaepcot.htm

Comments

DebbieW - 9/10/2007 3:35 PM
Hi fellow NDepth member. Yes, you can dive at Epcot. My husband and I did this as one of our first dives after we got certified. It was truly fun. The tank is huge (6mil gallons). You could actually fit the Epcot Ball inside and still have room to drive a bus around it or at least that is what they told us. haha The whole thing took about 3 hours and you only dive for about 40 minutes which goes fast when you are having that kind of fun. They do a video for it which proceeds help marine life. You get to be really close to the sharks, turtles, rays, etc. There was also a HUGENORMOUS fish (grouper?) which made the sharks look small, and they weren`t! U also get to do a behind the scenes tour (manatees, dolphins). Sure there is not a fear of the sharks or other critters attacking you as much as there is in the wild, but I sure enjoyed it. (The sharks and rays are target fed as well as fed three times a day so they don`t eat the customers). :)
MikeH - 4/03/2007 12:00 AM
I haven`t heard of this before, but I didn`t know Disney had an aquarium. I`m sure it`s a novel dive but at three times the cost of most boat dives I don`t think I would be diving it too many times. I`m also concerned for the conditions in the tank. I dive for an aquarium. Aquarium divers are usually trained to minimize stress and damage while working in tanks, following AZA policies and procedures. If it is something you are interested in you should contact your local aquarium and find out about their program. Most have positions for every level and take internships and volunteers. If there aren`t any positions available you should ask if there is a waiting list. You can really learn alot at aquariums that you won`t on a vacation boat. Vacation boats are fun and offer after diving activity.