Diving In an Aquarium

Assembled in a small group we stood ready to enter the water. We’d completed our pre-dive training and with great anticipation stepped over the wall into the entry pool that lead into the main aquarium of Oceanworld in Sydney.

Our guide individually checked our equipment to ensure that everything was correct and pushed the large, inquisitive green turtle away from us before we sank into the waste-deep water to swim towards the hole in the wall.

She swam through the hole first gesturing for me to follow as I held on to the edge for a moment, poking my head through the hole looking right, left, above and below to see all the fish swimming around ahead of me before pushing myself out. Amongst the mix were several very large grey nurse sharks in close proximity watching me as I swam through into the aquarium. I was conscious of my heart pounding very loudly along with the sound of my breathing through the regulator; I was now in another world.

As instructed I swam straight to where our guide sat waiting for the others to follow and one by one we joined her on the bottom before moving further into the centre of the aquarium. Having scuba dived in the open ocean before it was a very strange feeling diving without wearing fins and instead half swimming and half pushing ourselves along the bottom in our boots to where we were to meet the fishes!

Sitting in our group excitedly observing our surroundings we were approached by all sorts of different species of fish and for some reason another enormous turtle took a liking to my dark hair floating in the water. I pushed it away and it kept coming over for a closer look, so I had an extreme close-up view of its underbelly before our guide came over to push the turtle right away from me, letting it know it was not “that” welcome over here.

The fish were so inquisitive seeing us in their home, coming very close and hanging around expectantly, probably hoping that we’d have some food for them. The rays and sharks too were interested in what was going on but instead the sharks would simply glide smoothly by, coming back around for another look after doing a lap around the aquarium. We had a very good look at the grey nurse sharks’ ragged teeth which is how they are known in other parts of the world; ragged toothed sharks and also sand tiger sharks. We had been assured beforehand that the sharks were all very well fed and would not consider us to be food! Taking in the events surrounding us we also waved to our friends who were watching us from the acrylic shark tunnel taking photos as we interacted with the inhabitants of the fish community.

Soon it was time to make our way back along the bottom and to leave the aquarium. Our guide gestured to us and kept watch as we swam up to the hole in the wall and out into the entry pool. Emerging from the water one by one, happy faces appeared from behind their watery masks and the air was soon filled with the boisterous tones of voices recounting their exciting experiences. It was clear to see how enormously happy everyone was to have experienced this wonderful adventure.