PEOPLE & 



PLACES 



there 



Others, like Pete Marriner of 

 Hertford figured Murphy had a 

 plan. "I didn't have time to get 

 scared — I was trying to keep up 

 with Murph," Marriner says of 

 his first time in the tank during 

 training. 



Overall, the divers quickly 

 learn that nurse sharks and sand 

 tigers are mostly curious. "You 

 have to remember sharks are 

 prehistoric creatures," George 

 says. 



Each time divers are in the 

 tank — for the education staff s 

 morning presentation or the 

 volunteers' afternoon maintenance 

 is a designated safety leader who keeps an 

 eye on the creatures and offers a visual 

 barrier with a black-and-white striped pole. 



By instinct, the animals are not 

 aggressive unless they feel threatened or 

 cornered, Murphy says. "A pole won't 

 protect you if a shark wants you," he adds. 

 The animals are not touched, except for a 

 few gentle nudges. 



• SERVICE-MINDED DIVERS 



Well before the new $16 million- 

 dollar aquarium opened in May 2000, it 

 was clear that staff alone could not keep up 

 with the daily cleaning required in all the 

 tanks. Murphy began working with 

 volunteer coordinator Maura Bourgeois to 

 develop the volunteer diving program, 

 which now handles about two-thirds of the 

 maintenance. 



Although applicants must be certified 

 scuba divers, they must attend up to three 

 months of additional training before 

 receiving clearance to begin regular shifts. 



Marinner, who was taught to dive as a 

 youth by friends who were U.S. Navy 

 Seals, says his first session at the aquarium 

 made him sure of his offer to volunteer. "I 

 love to dive. This is great," he says. "I am 

 not used to being that close to fish of that 

 size." 



That is the case for most of the 

 volunteers. "The first 15 dives are total 



Volunteers find themselves up close to sharks in the tank. 



sensory overload," Murphy says. 



The tank's buoyancy factor requires 

 some adjustments. The kidney-shaped tank 

 is about the size of a baseball infield, with a 

 unique current that can be significant. 



Working near the Monitor replica and 

 the tank's clear acrylic wall can be tricky as 

 well. And divers don't want to spend much 

 time near the surface, where the animals go 

 to feed. 



In the general world of diving, about 

 75 percent are men, Murphy says. But 

 when he was at the Aquarium of the Americas 

 in New Orleans, women filled about half of 

 the volunteer team. "Women tend to do 

 better. They are more intuitive. Many men 

 want to jab and point," he explains. 



• SAFETY COMES FIRST 



Volunteers immediately learn 

 Murphy's priorities: First, diver safety. 

 Second, animal safety. Finally, exhibit 



safety. 



The training concludes with both a 

 written and a practical exam. Then, 

 volunteers are asked to work two three- 

 hour shifts per month. 



Many, like George, check in with 

 Murphy to pick up extra shifts. "Any good 

 diver wants to stay current — just like a 

 pilot," says George, who has been a 

 certified diver since 1972. 



Ben Presgrave dives for a living — he 

 inspects bridges for the N.C. Department of 



Transportation - but spends 

 much of his free time at the 

 aquarium, where the water is 

 considerably clearer. 



"This is totally different. 

 It's relaxing," says Presgrave, 

 who proudly claims to be the 

 facility's first volunteer diver. 



While many volunteers 

 come from Dare County, 

 Marriner drives 90 minutes 

 each way from Hertford. 



"The divers we have are 

 fantastic. They are committed 

 and hardworking — and they 

 enjoy it," Bourgeois says. 

 Some have learned of the opportunity by 

 word-of-mouth, others through contacts at 

 local dive shops. 



Once the program is full, each shift 

 will have four to five divers, including an 

 experienced team leader. In addition to the 

 Monitor tank, the volunteers work in other 

 exhibits, including the alligator tank. 



To avoid potential contamination, the 

 volunteers use the aquarium's gear, from 

 fins and suits to tanks and buoyancy 

 compensators. "All you bring is your 

 mask," Presgrave says. 



The work itself is not glamorous. 

 Much of the time is spent scrubbing algae 

 off walls, or vacuuming waste and other 

 sediment from the tank bottom. 



While theirs is not a formal education 

 duty, the volunteer divers find themselves 

 responding to the public, both from inside 

 the tank and outside. 



"It's a fantastic experience. We have 

 excellent leadership and feel safe," George 

 says. "It's the most interesting volunteer 

 job on the Outer Banks. □ 



To find out more about the volunteer 

 divers and other programs at the North 

 Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island, call 

 252/473-3494, ext. 254. As the expansions 

 of the aquariums at Fort Fisher and Pine 

 Knoll Shores are completed, volunteer 

 diving programs are expected to be 

 implemented. 



22 SPRING 2001 



