One of my most cherished images from my dives at the Alaska Sealife Center shows a youngster, probably about four or five years old, closely examining the results while I remove algal growth from the Bird Habitat window. I call that image “The Supervisor.” He appears to be fascinated with the all the activity between the suction cups which give me stability and leverage, the pad, and the diver.
A couple of weeks ago my Facebook Memories tab highlighted a post from October 2014 that I had done my first dive as a volunteer helping to maintain habitats at the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward, Alaska. Ten years and more than 100 dives later, I can say that I look forward with anticipation to my next dive as I did my first.
I recall that Chip Arnold, the Chief Operating Officer at
the Center, told me early on to be sure I interacted with the visitors, especially the
children, during the dive if I had the opportunity. Doing so is one of the best things about the
job.
During another dive, a youngster reluctantly approached the window. With a little bit of encouragement from his mom, he pressed a phone against the window. On the screen he had typed the message, YOU MISSED A SPOT. I thought it was quite funny and appreciate the ingenuity that went into transmitting the message.
Most people are very receptive to interacting with me
through the glass, but only the kids will really engage. Some do so reluctantly, a bit shy at
first. I imagine a diver in all that
gear can appear a bit scary. Usually, I motion to them to come close to the
window and initiate a “high five” or “fist bump.” Pretty soon the parents are taking photos and
video. I try not to exhale during the
photo shoot. Pictures without exhaust
bubbles are so much better than ones with them.
I stay there as long as there are kids looking to engage.
Some encounters are more spontaneous. A couple of ‘tweens started to mimic my underwater
movement. One did a seal hop across the
floor which I repeated much to their delight. I upped the challenge by pushing
off the bottom, going inverted and spinning in circles. There are things a diver can do with the neutral
buoyancy that can’t be replicated on the dry side of the glass. Think of it as break dancing in zero g.
