Under the Sea with Disney's DiveQuest
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The Coral Reef Restaurant allows
land-based
visitors to view the aquarium’s 65 species of
marine life without ever getting wet. |
Delude was right. For my daughters, aged 11 and 14, the dive seemed a perfect introduction to the world of diving. Even experienced divers enjoy DiveQuest, though. With the diverse array of marine life in the 27-foot-deep (8.23 m) tank, divers see more in one dive than one would see during multiple ocean dives.
We can’t help but be thrilled as we explore the tank. At first, we follow our dive master as he points out certain marine life or formations around the tank. Then we head out to explore on our own. The Goliath grouper, just inches from my mask, looks at me for almost a minute before moving on. Then a huge sea turtle floats gracefully past, and a school of large gray fish swirl in circles below our feet.
While the sea life is amazing, that’s only half of the fun. At DiveQuest, you’re not only in the exhibit, you are the exhibit.
Land-based visitors can see the aquarium and divers from the Coral Reef Restaurant, which has large viewing windows. Other guests visit the Living Seas exhibit, which offers a seven-minute theater presentation and then “hydrolators,” which take guests to a simulated ocean floor to view the marine life.
My youngest daughter quickly discovers the viewers on the other side of the glass. She swims down in front of one little boy, placing her hands near his on the window. Several other little viewers take notice, and soon my daughter is performing somersaults and other aerobic tricks for the young audience on the other side of her own little aquatic stage.
One of the other divers has family sitting at a booth in the Coral Reef Restaurant, and they take pictures of him and wave. DiveQuest offers the rare opportunity for divers to share the experience with non-diving family members.
As with most Disney experiences, there is a photographer on hand to capture our day on film. Underwater videographer Jim Wilhelm motions for us to gather together for an underwater family photo, and then films us as we discover Disney’s marine realm.
DiveQuest is different from other Disney World attractions in that it is a non-profit organization. All profits from DiveQuest go to the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund, an organization that studies and works to help protect the world’s wildlife and ecosystems. The organization supports everything from new elephant habitats in Africa to the rehabilitation of orphan chimpanzees in the Congo. Knowing that our dive fee is helping to preserve nature’s bounty is another plus to our dive experience.
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DiveQuest offers the rare opportunity
for divers to share their experience with
non-diving family members. |
As my husband and I hover weightlessly in the water, an 8-foot (2.4 m) Sand Tiger shark saunters past just two feet in front of us. Its long body is lean and muscular, but he eyes us with disinterest and then moves on.
“Did you see that?” I pantomime to my hubby, eyes wide with excitement. It’s then that I learn another little-known fact of diving: It’s hard to keep a regulator in your mouth when it’s covered with a big, wide grin.
If You Go
DiveQuest offers two dives per day (4:30 and 5:30 p.m.), and groups are small, a maximum of 12 divers. All equipment, including wet suit, is provided. (Divers may bring their own mask, if desired.) Minimum age is 10. Proof of dive certification is required. The total dive experience is 2.5 hours, including a one-hour orientation and 40 minutes in the water. Cost is US$ 140. Reservation and pre-payment is required.
The Living Seas exhibit is closed to viewers for renovations until November 23, 2005. DiveQuest will continue to operate during that time. Guests may still observe divers when dining at the Coral Reef Restaurant.
Disney’s DiveQuest
407-WDW-TOUR (407-939-8687)
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