Scuba Diving with the Gentle Giants

You may have heard of the Georgia Aquarium but did you hear they also offer special animal encounters like scuba diving with the whale sharks? Journey with Gentle Giants is the only opportunity in the world where you are guaranteed to swim or dive with whale sharks, manta rays and more! Wait, what?! You read right! The Georgia Aquarium is the only aquarium in the Western Hemisphere where you can actually see AND swim with whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean.

The dive takes place in the whale sharks home, The Ocean Voyager. Inside the tank you can see the four whale sharks that  range from 18-22 feet long. It contains 6.3 million gallons of water and ranges in depth from 20-33 feet deep.

In addition to whale sharks, Ocean Voyager is home to 4 manta rays, Tank, Georgia Aquarium’s green sea turtle and thousands of other fascinating fish.

The Journey with the Gentle Giants programs (swim/snorkel, rebreather and SCUBA/dive) offer an exploration of the Ocean Voyager exhibit and introduction to Georgia Aquarium’s conservation and whale shark research program. A portion of the proceeds from this program support the Aquarium’s research and conservation efforts.

An Experience of a Lifetime

I still remember the day my Dad told us we were getting our scuba diving licenses like it was yesterday. I was a senior in high school and was so upset because I had just ironed my hair and did not want to get into a pool! Oh teenagers! Now I am beyond thankful my Dad made me get my license. I’ve been fortunate enough to scuba dive in various beautiful destinations like Mexico and Dominica Republic but I can honestly say this was the BEST scuba dive experience. Here are five reasons why:

1. Organized– From the moment you book your dive (it’s an add on when you buy your admission ticket) the dive team makes sure it’s an organized experience. A few days after booking, the dive master emailed me letting me know what the dive would be like and to see if I had any questions. You are also given specific instructions on what time and where to meet. Once you arrive you check yourself and your family in. The scuba team then comes down to get you and takes you to a classroom where they go over safety and details of the dive. After the briefing you head to the locker rooms to change and get ready for the dive!
2. Friendly– Along with being organized, the whole scuba team is very friendly. They make sure you have zero questions or concerns before your dive. They are upbeat and excited for you to dive with them. They are even friendly underwater! One of the scuba team members was the videographer and she made sure everyone was included in the video {which you can see below}.
3. Safe– Not going to lie, I was a little nervous about being in a tank full of SHARKS! But rest assure, whale sharks are harmless and the other sharks are very small. Also, the sharks are well fed and are familiar with divers. All the other sea animals swim right by you and some even come up and nibble on your gear! If you watch the full video you can see when a giant grouper almost ran into me! I moved out his way cause he was coming right at me! So neat!
4. The Perfect Gift– As I mentioned above, I gifted this scuba trip to my Dad. It was such a special dive and one that we won’t ever forget! Also, if you visit the Georgia Aquarium on your birthday your admission is FREE! It’s simple: on your birthday, go to any ticket window, show proof it’s your birthday and receive free access to all the galleries, dolphin and sea lion presentations, touch pools, feeds and more!
5. Photo Opportunities- How many dives can you have people taking pictures and videos of you from inside AND outside the water? Not many I’m sure! As mentioned before, one of the team members videos the whole dive so you can relive your experience anytime. Also, all your family is taken to special areas where they can see you from the outside of the tank! After the dive the aquarium team brings your family up to meet you and watch the video together!

As you can see there are so many reasons to why scuba diving with the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium is an extraordinary adventure. I cannot recommend it enough! Don’t have your scuba license? No worries! You have the option of swimming with the whale sharks! Click here to find out more information.

Enjoy swimming/scuba diving with these gentle giants my friends!