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His passion runs deep
By SUSAN THURSTON
© St. Petersburg Times, HUNTER'S GREEN -- Every Friday, John Pitcairn plunges into a pool teeming with nurse sharks, moray eels and puffer fish bigger than basketballs.
Pitcairn is a volunteer scuba diver for the Florida Aquarium, one of Tampa's top tourist attractions. He helps keep the tanks crystal clear and leads an underwater show about reefs and diving. "I've been to aquariums all over the world," he said after a recent dive. "This is a world-class facility." The Hunter's Green father of three began volunteering at the aquarium when it opened in 1994. He started as a tour guide, then became a diver. Over the years, Pitcairn has logged more than 1,000 hours, said Casey Melton, volunteer coordinator. He rarely, if ever, misses a week. "We consider him a part of the aquarium," she said. "He's furniture here." Pitcairn's passion for scuba diving runs deep. He's been doing it for 11 years. Pitcairn, 37, learned in the deep and cold waters of the Finger Lakes south of Rochester, N.Y., where he lived before moving to Florida about seven years ago. A frustrated lawyer at the time, he found scuba diving exciting and interesting. "It opens the doors to one of the most spectacular habitats on the planet," he said. "It's the closest you can get to flying. You're floating through water." A Connecticut native, Pitcairn came to Tampa to work for the Reef Environmental Education Foundation, a marine conservation group based in Key Largo. He and his wife, Deborah, chose Hunter's Green because of its emphasis on families. They have a daughter, Kelsey, 12, and two sons, Daniel, 10, and Jason, 8. Pitcairn left the foundation two years ago to start his own dive tour company, Visionary Voyages. For $3,000 to $6,000 per person, he took divers to faraway places like the Galapagos and Fiji islands. These trips, while educational and adventurous, took him away from his family for too long, he said. He also wanted to go back to school for a master's degree in education so he can teach social science, possibly in New Tampa. "I'd like to stay in the community," said Pitcairn, who also coaches for the New Tampa Soccer Association. "This is our home. This is where our children will say they are from." A connoisseur of aquariums, Pitcairn considers Tampa's one of the best in the world because of its true-to-life exhibits and dedicated staff. The main reef tank holds 500,000 gallons, enough to fill about 33 average-sized home swimming pools. It boasts 1,800 fish and 60 different types. Pitcairn serves as one of 300 volunteers at the aquarium. They get free memberships, tickets to other aquariums and the satisfaction of helping the marine environment. Pitcairn hopes his enthusiasm for scuba diving spills over to the next generation. During dives, he waves to young visitors and blows bubbles from behind the glass. He also allays fears about coming face-to-face with sharks. "It's a great experience to be able to see them," he said. "Usually, you scare them away." - Susan Thurston can be reached at (813) 226-3463.
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From the Times |
