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Aquarium visitors strap on mask and fins
By TAMARA LUSH, Times Staff Writer
A new program allows visitors to climb into the tank with the angelfish -- and the grouper, and the moray eels. This marine life encounter, called "Swim with the Fishes," is different from the "Swim with the Sharks" program unveiled in January. The new program allows uncertified divers to use scuba equipment in the aquarium's 500,000-gallon coral reef tank, though they must stay on the water's surface. Only certified divers can swim in the shark tank. The aquarium's latest adventure, which opened Saturday, is one of a growing number in the United States that offer a very personal encounter with marine life. "It is a profound and effective method of conservation education," said Hillary Walker, spokeswoman for the American Aquarium and Zoo Association. "Physical interaction leaves the greatest impression on a visitor." Walker says aquarium visitors who swim with fish, caress stingrays or stroke dolphins are much more likely to donate money and become involved in conservation efforts. The intimate programs offered at aquariums also perform another crucial task: boosting revenue. Educational programs are nice. But, let's face it, kids and their parents want excitement. Aquariums and to a lesser extent, zoos, now offer everything from sleepovers to cooking classes, from kayak trips in rivers to conservation cruises in the Caribbean. Most marine facilities have "touch tanks," where small children can hold starfish and other benign sea life. But at aquariums tasked with being the anchor for a city's tourist trade, touching a sea urchin usually isn't enough. The Florida Aquarium learned that lesson the hard way. When it opened eight years ago, it was expected to draw huge numbers of visitors to Tampa's downtrodden waterfront. But it was still operating in the red two years later. Attendance was so low in 1997 that the Tampa City Council had to pay $1-million to cover the nonprofit attraction's operating expenses. The numbers are getting better. The aquarium has been in the black in recent years, though still short of announced goals. Aquarium executives hope that turning the venue into more of a theme park will boost attendance. "Explore-a-Shore" is planned for 2004, complete with horseshoe crab touch tanks, fountains that shoot water at kids and a tiki bar for adults. The aquarium also is aggressively promoting its conservation efforts. It recently rehabilitated three fuzzy baby otters orphaned at a construction site in Clearwater. The otters will be on display within weeks. "We want to be one of the best aquariums in the world, and to do that, we need to keep adding things," Florida Aquarium spokeswoman Andrea Davis said. "It's how you grow as a facility." -- Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Sea life closeupAquariums and zoos across the country are adding interactive programs that allow visitors a more intimate look at marine life and animals. Here are a few examples: New England Aquarium, Boston: Offers a $3,400 trip for members to help collect tropical fish in the waters off Bimini. The fish will be displayed in the aquarium's Giant Ocean Tank. National Aquarium, Baltimore: For $58, you can take the "Dolphin Discovery Tour," where visitors meet three dolphins, learn how trainers prepare dolphin meals and tour the dolphin tank filtration system. North Carolina Aquarium, Pine Knoll Shores: For $15, patrons can watch area chefs "use local marine species to create tantalizing seafood dishes." Snacks included. Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, Conn.: Offers a "Beluga Contact Program," where patrons pay $110 to wade in the aquarium tank and touch the 2,000-pound whales. "Penguin Contact Programs" are also available.
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