As a treat for finishing my master’ s program in August, I went on a trip with my family to the Georgia Aquarium. Many people probably don’ t know this about me, but in my undergrad, I studied marine science and biology. I have always had an interest and passion for marine life. I have been scuba diving since I was 16 years old. Currently, I am a certified rescue diver, can dive to depths of 120ft, and hold 4 additional specialties. My wonderful family came together and thoughtfully gifted me a bucket list experience, the Dive with Gentle Giants encounter at the Georgia Aquarium for my graduation. This experience allowed me to scuba dive with the Whale Sharks in their Ocean Voyager exhibit. This exhibit is the size of a football field and holds 6.3 million gallons of water. Also housed in the exhibit were manta rays, multiple species of stingrays, giant grouper, sandbar and blacktip reef sharks, sawfish, hundreds of various fish species, and a green sea turtle names Tank. To say that it was the most incredible experience of my life is an understatement. It was truly an experience of a lifetime, and I feel so lucky to have been given the opportunity.
Devastatingly, about 2 weeks after my trip, one of the 2 whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium, Taroko, fell ill and passed on August 21st. Taroko had been rescued from Taiwan and had been with the aquarium for 18 years. They truly are majestic gentle giants, and it was an honor to have shared their space during my dive. I will certainly remember and cherish this experience for the rest of my life.