AD 2018 Q1

Bahamas
DIVE SLATE
OREGON COAST AQUARIUM
Clockwise from top left: Researchers James Grier,
Ph.D., and Petar Denoble, M.D., D.Sc., record a
volunteer diver’s heart function. Working in buddy
pairs, divers use vacuums to clean the exhibits.
Volunteer divers wear sensitive loggers while diving
to record depth, time and water temperature.
PETER BUZZACOTT
PETER BUZZACOTT PETER BUZZACOTT
with
Package
3 nights at the beautiful
Pelican Bay Hotel in
Waterside room
including daily breakfast
located on the Marina adjacent to UNEXSO.
Saturday morning dolphin
or 2 tank dive (your choice)
Saturday afternoon shark dive
Sunday morning 2 tank dive.
R/T transfers from airport
or harbour
only
$649
per person
(dbl occ.)
valid thru December 1st, 2017
Blackout dates apply.
1-800-992-DIVE (3483)
www.unexso.com
Freeport, Grand Bahama
unexso @unexsobahamas
organized entity led by diving safety
officers Jenna Walker and Doug
Batson. OCA volunteers complete
a variety of daily tasks: wiping the
acrylic aquarium windows, vacuuming
the bottoms of the tanks, scrubbing
rocks, changing aquatic decor, feeding
and tracking the health of the fish and
even setting up marriage proposals
in the Passages of the Deep exhibit.
These divers need to be competent
and confident in their skills —
especially because the water in the
exhibits can be as cold as 45°F.
Before volunteering at the aquarium,
prospective participants need to
complete rigorous swim tests, pool
training and training dives in the
aquarium, in addition to completing
and maintaining certification in the
DAN Diving First Aid for Professional
Divers (DFA Pro) course. Once they
become volunteers, they must pass an
American Academy of Underwater
Sciences (AAUS) physical every two
years. For anyone over the age of
40, this physical includes an EKG,
chest X-ray and coronary risk-factor
assessment. Because 80 percent of the
volunteers are 55 or older, this rigorous
exam applies to most of the dive team.
With all the relevant risk factors,
the OCA’s diving program is
very safety conscious. They run
emergency drills multiple times per
year, preparing divers for sprained
ankles, shark bites, tsunamis and
everything in between. Although
volunteers may choose to opt out
of the drills, it is rare that they do
so. These divers understand how
important practice and preparation
are for real-life emergencies. In the
past 17 years there has been only
one major incident at the OCA,
and because of the rehearsals of
their emergency action plans, the
team acted quickly and helped the
person survive a life-threatening
situation. Due in large part to the
program’s focus on safety, the divers
are uniformly confident, relaxed
and able to do exemplary work.
Although their aquarium may not
be the largest in the country, their
protocols and ideals serve as an
outstanding example to all other
volunteer dive programs.
Despite the hard work, constant
training and cold water, these
volunteers love what they do.
Some have been diving with the
OCA volunteer program since its
inception in 2000, and many drive
for hours just to get to the aquarium
to complete their shift. When asked
why they continue to volunteer,
many of them had the same answers:
It is a great way to keep diving yearround
and into retirement; it is the
20 | WINTER 2018