When you were a little kid, wasn't there some part of you that wanted to work in a zoo? The job of being a zookeeper isn't at all glamorous, but it gives animal enthusiasts the opportunity to interact with all kinds of animals. Now that you're a diver, there's another "job" that might interest you - that job involves keeping aquarium displays clean and well-maintained, and helping to keep the fish and other animals that live in them healthy and happy. Often, these positions are voluntary - and as long as you're a certified diver with a good handle on buoyancy control, you might be able to lend a hand. Let's take a look at what the job entails, using Baltimore's National Aquarium as an example.
A Day in the Life of an Aquarium Keeper
Sometimes the weather in Baltimore, MD, is freezing cold. Snow flies outside, and wind howls through hardwoods that won't grow new leaves again for a few months. Inside the National Aquarium though, fish swim happily in their exhibits, and a team of dedicated divers keep those animals healthy. In all, there are almost 300 divers who spend two days a month volunteering at the National Aquarium. In some exhibits, they feed the rays and other animals by hand, offering fish specially prepared in a kitchen that focuses on ensuring each of the 16,000 animals housed at the aquarium gets the proper type and amount of food.
On other dives, they enter the reef exhibits to ensure everything is as it should be. They clean filters and take care of other essential equipment. Landlocked divers with no other place to dive on a regular basis are thrilled to have the opportunity to volunteer with the National Aquarium. To be placed on a team, they must have exceptional buoyancy control since even a minor scrape against a delicate reef display can spell disaster. In addition, they must commit to volunteering for an entire year, and they must be able to spend time learning more about the species they'll be diving with.
When feeding sharks and rays, cleaning filters, and taking care of little maintenance jobs, volunteer divers are in the public eye. Kids and adults alike look through the heavy glass, possibly imagining themselves donning fins and a SCUBA tank to enter the exhibits and care for the animals that live there. They get lots of smiles, and when people find out that they volunteer their time to keep the National Aquarium running properly, they get plenty of heartfelt "Thank You's" too.
Not all aquariums have volunteer diver programs, but many do. Others have paid positions available for divers, and some offer fun diving experiences any certified diver can enjoy. So, if you live within a short distance of a major aquarium, and you're interested in helping to make life better for the animals who live there, or maybe even in helping people learn more about marine life, check into volunteering. Not only is it fun, it's good for your spirit.