Day 1 at the National Aquarium: The Atlantic Coral Reef Exhibit!

For my first day at the Aquarium, I got to do two dives in their Atlantic Coral Reef tank! The tank is a large ring that allows guests to walk up and down within the tank, providing a super dynamic environment for guests, as well as a fun diving experience. For our first dive, Holly and I had some quick work to do inside, taking quick measurements of the tanks structure for an upcoming project. For this task, wrist slates came in handy so that we did not have to memorize measurements and not have any excess gear dangling for the animals inside to become interested in. After our tasks were done, we got to swim around though some of the exhibits swim-throughs, and then practice a few fundamental skills to ensure safety when swimming in the exhibits. It was super cool to see all of the animals in the exhibit, especially their reef shark named Sophie, and a green moray names Floyd!

After we finished the dive, I got to spend some time with another member of the aquarium staff who gave me an incredible tour of the aquariums exhibits, highlighting some of the important features of exhibits, especially those of concern for any dive staff. The National Aquarium has exhibits ranging from Australian wildlife, to sharks, and even a jellyfish exhibit. Following the tour, we went over some important onboarding training for their volunteers and staff, such as the types of work divers can do, as well as key safety points when working with and around compressed air systems.

Holly and I had a nice lunch packed from the day prior, and then it was time for dive number 2! On this dive a number of volunteers would be scrubbing the artificial coral in the exhibit, so I get to bring a camera in and practice my camera skills!

I would like to give a huge thank you to BackScatter Underwater Photography and Video, they generously provided my with an entire camera rig to use in order to document my summer! The kit included an Olympus TG-6 as the primary camera, as well as a set of Sea&Sea Strobes, Light and Motion Video Lights, and an assortment of hardware. Thanks to their generosity I will be able to provide images of my experiences underwater, and learn a ton about underwater photography!

Prior to these dives, I had not used a dedicated underwater camera rig, so this was the perfect environment to practice! I was able to manipulate the lighting and settings on the camera, gradually getting more comfortable with the system as the dive went on. The TG-6 is super simple to use underwater, and allowed me to take some cool photos (even with myself using it)! We were able to spend about an hour swimming around and practicing, this was a great start to the week!