On Display

Visitors to the Busan Aquarium were in store for a special treat this weekend. On Saturday afternoon, ten Fulbrighters plunged into the giant, main tank for a scuba-diving adventure. I'd never done anything like this before and the experience didn't disappoint.

Our morning began with a few hours of training from Mike, our eccentric instructor. Being the only male in my group, Mike seized any chance he could to give me a hard time. He turned out to be a really helpful instructor and despite our inability to master some of the required diving skills, he remained patient and made the dive enjoyable for everyone.

Skills we had to learn before descending into the tank:

1. Using the regulator and breathing underwater (naturally).

2. Equalizing (making sure your body is adjusting to the pressure of the water).

3. Clearing the regulator while underwater.

4. Clearing water from your mask.

It's hard to explain the feelings I experienced during the dive. Getting used to breathing underwater was an achievement in itself and it definitely took a certain mindset to keep from panicking. The air in the tank does not flow consistently and the regulator only activates when you take conscious breaths. It takes some getting used to, but once I was comfortable, I could thoroughly enjoy the dive. Unfortunately for my desire for a bit of real danger, Mike let us know that none of the sharks in the tank had the physical ability to remove any human limbs. Still, he said, a tiger shark getting a mouthful of your arm would be "a bad day at the office."

Another piece of the dive that took some getting used to was being on display for the hundreds of Korean visitors to the aquarium that afternoon. I can only guess how many random pictures I was in over the course of our 30-minute dive. Luckily, living in Korea has cultured me to be used to the pointing and staring. I can imagine the excitement these kids were feeling just being at the aquarium, and getting waved at by an American scuba diver only improved what was already a great day.