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Diving amid the fish at Disney World
It's an experience to mingle with the finny fellows at Epcot's Ling Seas
Author: By Rosemary Labonte, Globe Correspondent
Date: SUNDAY, November 16, 1997
Page: M3
Section: Travel
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Have you ever looked in your fish tank and
wondered what is would be like to swim among clownfish and stripped tetras? Or
ventured to the New England Aquarium and wished you could jump inside and see
the aquatic animals up close, pointing at the people on the outside as they
are pointing at you.
Well, thanks to Walt Disney World in Florida and what they call the
``sixth ocean,'' their Living Seas exhibit at Epcot, you can do just that.
Since October 1995, Mickey and Co. have allowed divers to enter a
2-million-gallon tank twice a day at 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. The Epcot DiveQuest
program provides 6,000 aquatic creatures at your disposal, some touching your
mask and your hands thinking, presumably, you are there to serve them lunch.
The diving conditions are ideal. Visibility is 203 feet the entire length
of the tank, water temperature is about 72 degrees, 30 feet in depth, and no
current or force to drag you off course. And the marine life is amazing. There
is no place on Earth where you will see the number of fish and the variety in
one area. And of course there is the human life.
Talk about life in a fish bowl -- from the minute you descend you are a
part of the attraction, a part of the show. You are poked at by the animals
inside the water, who appear to be wondering what you are doing in their area,
and you are gawked at by the human animals behind the glass who cannot believe
you are inside. They wave at you, they stare at you, they use hand signals to
talk to you, and they photograph and videotape your every movement. You know
that you will be a part of Bob from Iowa's home video and Shirley from
Topeka's photo album, and it is a pretty odd feeling.
The instructor carries an underwater board to write messages and we were
able to communicate partially with our friends on the outside. The thickness
of the acrylic glass -- about 6 inches -- is reassuring.
At the Coral Reef Restaurant on the bottom level of the attraction, you can
see people enjoying their sirloin steaks and catch of the day and you're
thankful it is not you on the menu. Everyone stops to stare and more photos
and videos are taken, and you hope that you are looking as graceful and
stylish as the other underwater wildlife.
But as you move around the tank and observe all the creatures, you seem
to forget the assembled audience.
The collection of aquatic life is tremendous, including eagle rays, cow
nose rays, brown sharks, and even dolphins. We were not allowed to get too
close to the dolphins; they are separated from the others. Instructor Craig
Baker said that the image many people develop of the animals can be misleading
as the Epcot staff members have found the creatures become aggressive with
people in their environment. We were even strictly instructed to maintain a
10-foot distance from the fence inside the tank since they are known to bang
themselves against the steel. Even the sexes are separated because the males
are more dominating and more aggressive.
Although we humans couldn't swim close to the female dolphins, they
certainly were spectacular to watch, and they put the two-legged fish to shame
with their grace and style.
There is an enormous grouper named Orson who didn't seem to move a muscle
the entire time we observed him. I was unsure he was even breathing, although
the instructors reassured us his vital signs were good. A comparably smaller
companion named Little Orson was a little more agile.
The sea turtles were my favorite, both a male and female, and we got a
close view of the male as he rested on the bottom neatly tucked under the
man-made coral reef. The size was rather surprising up close, the round body
almost as wide as I am tall. They seemed gentle and bashful.
The sharks are the most asked about, but they were never a real concern.
They seem as fearful of us as I was of them. They traveled below us when we
were close to the surface and stayed on the opposite side from where we were
exploring the bottom. But to see that familiar-shaped nose with the menacing
teeth, the dorsal fin, and to be in the same water and so close to where we
swimming still made me edgy. Although I must admit the ``Jaws'' theme never
flashed through my mind.
An underwater diving bell is also in the exhibit, and we all got a chance
to step inside and take our masks and regulators off for a different view. The
rounded bell surrounded by water distorts much of the view, but it gives you a
different perspective on the underwater world.
Another amazing part of the experience is that many of the
behind-the-scenes activities are open. We entered the back-lot and saw the
three huge tanks that filter the water at 35,000 gallons per minute. The
entire tank is recycled every few hours.
You feel like a privileged guest as you see the back areas and enter back
doors that most people never are allowed to enter. We went up a spiral
staircase in the middle of the exhibit, which brought us up to the top of the
tank. It's a lot like sitting on the edge of your swimming pool, only it's a
lot bigger.
The dive is an experience that everyone who enjoys diving should take
advantage of. And bring the family so you can be in their photo albums.
SIDEBAR:
IF YOU GO . . .
All the equipment is provided by Disney, and everything is done in Disney
style. We were allowed to bring our masks but they were thoroughly cleaned and
sterilized before we entered the water. A maximum of eight people are allowed
per dive.
The cost of the dive is $140 and reservations are required by calling
1-407-WDW-TOUR. Walt Disney World asks that you make reservations one month in
advance, but we were able to make them the week before. A T-shirt is provided
along with a signed certificate and an entry into your dive log. Open water
scuba certifications are required to participate, as are signed release forms.
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