The New York Underwater Photographic Society
Aquarium Traveler 2
Last March, divers from across the globe made the annual pilgrimage to the city of Boston and its elegant Fairmont Copley Hotel. It was time once again for the Boston Sea Rover's annual clinic. Attendee divers would have the opportunity to both attend interesting lectures about the wonders of the underwater world our sport allows us to experience, as well as regale each other about that last great dive adventure. If asked, I would have reported my last dive had not just been great, but truly awesome. It included close encounters with sharks, barracuda and sea turtles. Not only that, but it had taken place just yesterday, and less than a mile from the very conference we were attending here in the heart of Boston.
One early Friday morning, loaded with my dive gear, I boarded the Boston metro. It's Blue Line would bring me to its 'Aquarium' stop and my ultimate destination that early morning; Boston's downtown historic waterfront and the site of the world famous New England Aquarium. I had been invited by the Diving Safety Officer (DSO) of the aquarium, John Hanzl, to visit the New England Aquarium and experience the activities of its world famous dive team for a day. Entering its impressive glass entrance way, I was soon met and warmly greeted by Sherrie Floyd, senior aquariust and diver. I would next be handed a green dive team uniform and visitor's ID. My day among this elite dive team had begun.
My first stop of the day was the aquarium's food preparation room. Here dive team members were hard at work, preparing numerous containers of tupperware to feed the various inhabitants of the aquariums centerpiece, the Great Ocean Tank. The animals are fed four times a day on a tight schedule; twice in the morning (10:00am and 11:15am) and twice in the afternoon (2:30pm and 3:30pm). Soon I myself was chopping clams and fish and learning how to de-beak and de-spine squid. The food prepared would soon be the next meal of the many hungry tank inhabitants that morning. Other dive team members were briskly donning dive gear. They would soon enter the Great Ocean Tank, with the goal of target feeding many of its impressive occupants, such as its sand tiger sharks. This was the first feed of the day, and therefore the largest and most important.
My next stop was the Great Ocean Tank. The top of the exhibit contains numerous dive platforms that help staff divers enter and exit the tank. From here, I was given the opportunity to feed many of the tank inhabitants from the surface. These included numerous hungry barracudas, permit, needlefish, porcupinefish, and cobia. This was great fun! Pieces of well aimed squid were quickly devoured by the many hungry barracuda and cobia. Occasionally a hungry permit would dart and snatch up a thrown morsel, denying a barracuda his breakfast. At a separate dive platform, another dive team member was feeding the resident green sea turtle her breakfast of brussel sprouts, broccoli and cabbage . This was done not only to feed her, but to keep her occupied, allowing the in tank divers to work unmolested.
After that morning feed, I had the opportunity to meet longtime dive team volunteer Don Stark. Besides being a volunteer at the aquarium, Don is also an underwater vidoegrapher and award winning producer, director and editor. He was generous enough to take me on a behind the scenes tour of the aquarium. Highlights included one room filled with rare cichlid fish. Other rooms were devoted to the propagation of jellyfish and lobsters. One room had a tank with a huge 50 year old lobster. The impression I had after the tour was that of a dynamic aquarium filled with dynamic staff and interesting projects.
By this time it was the moment for my dive in the Great Ocean Tank! Don would be my dive buddy and guide. Kitted up, we made our way from the dive team locker room to the top of the tank. Already a crowd had gathered, and I was introduced as a 'visiting volunteer diver from the New York Aquarium'. Upon entering the tank, I was immediately impressed by its diversity. The surface of the tank was dominated by several barracuda, cobia and needlefish. Descending, I became more aware of the huge and impressive tarpon and permit that circled the middle of the tank. Southern stingrays and nurse sharks lay at the bottom. The faux coral reef structure that fills the tanks center has many swim through's and holes. Several moray eels, grouper, and procupinefish made their homes here. Two of the tanks inhabitants truly caught my eye. The first were the massive sand tiger sharks that circled the tank midwater. The other was the tanks impressive huge green turtle, who goes by the name of Myrtle.
The tank contains several turtles. A kemp ridley, two loggerheads, and Myrtle the Green turtle. Most visitors can't help but notice Myrtle, as she is an impressive animal. She is approximately 75 years old, weighs over 500 pounds, and has been at the aquarium almost as long as it has been open. I had been instructed by Don, that Myrtle likes to have the back of her shell scratched with a particular sea shell. Don produced it from the floor of the exhibit, and soon demonstrated the technique. He than handed it to me. For the next several minutes I experienced an animal encounter I never would have imagined having in my lifetime. Myrtle allowed me to scratch her shell with the seashell. She would move her body to where she wanted it scratched and seemed to delight in the experience. I would learn later that the shell of a turtle has a keratinous outer covering called a scute, that is composed of living tissue with sensitive nerve endings. A turtle's shell is not the lifeless indestructible armor it may appear to be. At one point I stopped scratching her. She turned to look at me with a quizzical look, as if wondering why? It was an amazing experience and one I will treasure always.
Midwater, the sand tiger sharks dominated. They are truly impressive and beautiful animals that amaze with their grace and power. Their bronze colored backs appeared to shine under the tank lighting. I was close enough to truly see the many Ampullae of Lorenzini on their narrow snouts. Hovering midwater, I found myself staring at their small cat like eyes and their mouthful of sharp dagger like teeth. Even though I knew these sharks are overall a docile, non aggressive species, I could not help but feel my pulse quicken as I hovered among them. Several times, I would turn my head and find one nonchalantly swimming over my shoulder. A great underwater encounter that I would soon chronicle in my dive log.
Much too soon, my dive in the Great Ocean Tank was over. I would spend my remaining time at the New England Aquarium thanking the numerous dive team members who had made my visit so special, and simply walking through the aquariums numerous exhibits. The New England Aquarium is truly one of this countries top attractions. This is in no small part due to its extraordinary staff, who take care of its amazing inhabitants. It is a place every scuba diver should visit.
For more information about the New England Aquarium and its dive team see http://www.neaq.org/education_and_activities/blogs_webcams_videos_and_more/blogs/giant_ocean_tank_blog/2008_03_01_archive.html
For more information about Don Stark see www.ScubaVisions.TV
One early Friday morning, loaded with my dive gear, I boarded the Boston metro. It's Blue Line would bring me to its 'Aquarium' stop and my ultimate destination that early morning; Boston's downtown historic waterfront and the site of the world famous New England Aquarium. I had been invited by the Diving Safety Officer (DSO) of the aquarium, John Hanzl, to visit the New England Aquarium and experience the activities of its world famous dive team for a day. Entering its impressive glass entrance way, I was soon met and warmly greeted by Sherrie Floyd, senior aquariust and diver. I would next be handed a green dive team uniform and visitor's ID. My day among this elite dive team had begun.
My first stop of the day was the aquarium's food preparation room. Here dive team members were hard at work, preparing numerous containers of tupperware to feed the various inhabitants of the aquariums centerpiece, the Great Ocean Tank. The animals are fed four times a day on a tight schedule; twice in the morning (10:00am and 11:15am) and twice in the afternoon (2:30pm and 3:30pm). Soon I myself was chopping clams and fish and learning how to de-beak and de-spine squid. The food prepared would soon be the next meal of the many hungry tank inhabitants that morning. Other dive team members were briskly donning dive gear. They would soon enter the Great Ocean Tank, with the goal of target feeding many of its impressive occupants, such as its sand tiger sharks. This was the first feed of the day, and therefore the largest and most important.
My next stop was the Great Ocean Tank. The top of the exhibit contains numerous dive platforms that help staff divers enter and exit the tank. From here, I was given the opportunity to feed many of the tank inhabitants from the surface. These included numerous hungry barracudas, permit, needlefish, porcupinefish, and cobia. This was great fun! Pieces of well aimed squid were quickly devoured by the many hungry barracuda and cobia. Occasionally a hungry permit would dart and snatch up a thrown morsel, denying a barracuda his breakfast. At a separate dive platform, another dive team member was feeding the resident green sea turtle her breakfast of brussel sprouts, broccoli and cabbage . This was done not only to feed her, but to keep her occupied, allowing the in tank divers to work unmolested.
After that morning feed, I had the opportunity to meet longtime dive team volunteer Don Stark. Besides being a volunteer at the aquarium, Don is also an underwater vidoegrapher and award winning producer, director and editor. He was generous enough to take me on a behind the scenes tour of the aquarium. Highlights included one room filled with rare cichlid fish. Other rooms were devoted to the propagation of jellyfish and lobsters. One room had a tank with a huge 50 year old lobster. The impression I had after the tour was that of a dynamic aquarium filled with dynamic staff and interesting projects.
By this time it was the moment for my dive in the Great Ocean Tank! Don would be my dive buddy and guide. Kitted up, we made our way from the dive team locker room to the top of the tank. Already a crowd had gathered, and I was introduced as a 'visiting volunteer diver from the New York Aquarium'. Upon entering the tank, I was immediately impressed by its diversity. The surface of the tank was dominated by several barracuda, cobia and needlefish. Descending, I became more aware of the huge and impressive tarpon and permit that circled the middle of the tank. Southern stingrays and nurse sharks lay at the bottom. The faux coral reef structure that fills the tanks center has many swim through's and holes. Several moray eels, grouper, and procupinefish made their homes here. Two of the tanks inhabitants truly caught my eye. The first were the massive sand tiger sharks that circled the tank midwater. The other was the tanks impressive huge green turtle, who goes by the name of Myrtle.
The tank contains several turtles. A kemp ridley, two loggerheads, and Myrtle the Green turtle. Most visitors can't help but notice Myrtle, as she is an impressive animal. She is approximately 75 years old, weighs over 500 pounds, and has been at the aquarium almost as long as it has been open. I had been instructed by Don, that Myrtle likes to have the back of her shell scratched with a particular sea shell. Don produced it from the floor of the exhibit, and soon demonstrated the technique. He than handed it to me. For the next several minutes I experienced an animal encounter I never would have imagined having in my lifetime. Myrtle allowed me to scratch her shell with the seashell. She would move her body to where she wanted it scratched and seemed to delight in the experience. I would learn later that the shell of a turtle has a keratinous outer covering called a scute, that is composed of living tissue with sensitive nerve endings. A turtle's shell is not the lifeless indestructible armor it may appear to be. At one point I stopped scratching her. She turned to look at me with a quizzical look, as if wondering why? It was an amazing experience and one I will treasure always.
Midwater, the sand tiger sharks dominated. They are truly impressive and beautiful animals that amaze with their grace and power. Their bronze colored backs appeared to shine under the tank lighting. I was close enough to truly see the many Ampullae of Lorenzini on their narrow snouts. Hovering midwater, I found myself staring at their small cat like eyes and their mouthful of sharp dagger like teeth. Even though I knew these sharks are overall a docile, non aggressive species, I could not help but feel my pulse quicken as I hovered among them. Several times, I would turn my head and find one nonchalantly swimming over my shoulder. A great underwater encounter that I would soon chronicle in my dive log.
Much too soon, my dive in the Great Ocean Tank was over. I would spend my remaining time at the New England Aquarium thanking the numerous dive team members who had made my visit so special, and simply walking through the aquariums numerous exhibits. The New England Aquarium is truly one of this countries top attractions. This is in no small part due to its extraordinary staff, who take care of its amazing inhabitants. It is a place every scuba diver should visit.
For more information about the New England Aquarium and its dive team see http://www.neaq.org/education_and_activities/blogs_webcams_videos_and_more/blogs/giant_ocean_tank_blog/2008_03_01_archive.html
For more information about Don Stark see www.ScubaVisions.TV
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