When it comes to sharks, most of us immediately think of iconic images from the blockbuster film “Jaws,” or perhaps The Discovery Channel’s popular “Shark Week” franchise. The shadowy shape, chilling teeth and sneaky approach of these ocean dwellers is often the stuff of nightmares, but staff members at Tacoma, Washington’s Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, a popular component of the Tacoma Metropolitan Park District system, are hoping to change all that with their new Eye-to-Eye Shark Dive experience.
Launched in October 2013, the program offers participants a chance to get up close and personal with more than a dozen different species of sharks. Anyone age 8 or older, with or without diving experience, is welcome to give the experience a try. Divers may choose to observe the sharks from inside a sturdy cage, which is immersed in the South Pacific Aquarium and supplied with surface air via diving masks. Those comfortable being out in the water — who are age 15 or older and can provide proof of their certification — may try the scuba dive, where skilled guides lead participants on an exhilarating swim around the 240,000-gallon tank. All of the necessary equipment is provided, from special diving suits that slip on over street clothes — no bathing suit required — to diving masks, air tanks, goggles and fins.
Divers have the chance to experience the habitat of nurse, sand tiger, blacktip reef, wobbegong and sandbar sharks, as well as the aquarium’s impressive 9-foot-long, 450-pound lemon shark, among others. Those who opt for the cage dive will spend approximately 20 minutes submerged in the tank, while scuba divers are down for 30 minutes. The entire experience lasts about an hour, including the dive and educational portions of the program. Friends and family members can watch the action through a large viewing window, and when it’s all over, participants may purchase a professionally filmed video to commemorate their diving experience.
Fun and excitement certainly are perks of this unique activity, but curators of the shark experience also are motivated to educate aquarium visitors about the many threats to the species. “The main goal of this program is to publicize the plight of sharks worldwide and to inspire people right here in Puget Sound to help protect and conserve marine life for future generations,” Zoo Deputy Director John Houck states. “We want our visitors to leave with a pledge to take action that will help save sharks.”
Many of us may balk at the idea of dedicating resources and energy to conservation efforts for a creature so reviled in popular conception. In truth, sharks serve a vital function in the ocean ecosystem as one of its largest and most effective predators. As they hunt, sharks control populations of smaller species, thereby preserving important habitats like seagrass beds that support prey animals. Sharks are commonly hunted for their teeth, skin and, most troublingly for conservationists, fins. The practice of “finning” — capturing a shark, slicing off its dorsal fin and dumping the body — is often cited as one of the greatest threats to shark populations as desire for high-price menu items like shark fin soup continue to rise. “Sharks are at the top of the marine food chain and are critical to maintaining balance in the world’s oceans,” Houck continues. “They desperately need our help, and we believe the Eye-to-Eye Shark Dive is a great way to get more people involved in helping these animals.”
As a taxpayer-funded facility, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium cannot directly contribute profits from its shark-dive experience to conservation efforts. Instead, programmers point visitors to their website, where abundant information can be found about ways to help save wild sharks and educate people about how these intimidating fish offer a huge benefit to our oceans. The nonprofit Zoo Society also assists in this effort through active fundraising for zoo programs and outside conservation initiatives.
Thus far, the Eye-to-Eye Shark Dive has proven quite successful. “From the time we opened on October 11 through the first week of January, we had about 725 cage divers and just under 200 scuba divers,” says Kris Sherman, public relations coordinator for Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. “We already have about 725 cage dives scheduled through April 30 and another 50 scuba divers scheduled so far this year.” For those who are on the fence about whether or not to take the plunge, Sherman says, “Why would you not?
“Scuba divers who’ve been around the world say it’s rare to see a shark in the wild, and shark sightings are guaranteed at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium,” she says. “Those who choose the cage-dive experience are thrilled that they have the opportunity to see sharks underwater, and they don’t need to learn how to scuba dive to do that. For many, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that they will tell their friends and family about for years to come.”
Learn more about Point Defiance’s Eye-to-Eye Shark Diving Experience.
Samantha Bartram is the Associate Editor of Parks & Recreation Magazine.