Ever dream about being like Spock in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, where Spock jumps into a large saltwater aquarium
just to mind melt with a whale named Gracie?
Well, dream no more! EPCOT Seas Adventures – DiveQuest at Walt Disney World Florida offers a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity for certified divers to explore the wonders of their incredible 5.7-million-gallon saltwater aquarium.
This was my first aquarium dive, I wasn’t sure what to expect. We arrived about 30 minutes before the dive time.
Walked over to the meeting place where we got to meet some of the other first time aquarium divers. Once the DiveQuest
team members came out to pick us up we started our about two-hour dive adventure.
We started out on our advantage with a safety and information briefing where we got to watch a video on what to expect
on our dive. Learn about Disney’s commitment to ocean conservation and the vital role these habitats play in our
planet’s health. They also verified everyone has their SCUBA Certification.
Next up was a really cool backstage tour where you get a glimpse of the inner workings of the massive 5.7 million
gallon saltwater aquarium. The DiveQuest team members talked about some of the incredible feats of engineering that
keeps the underwater world thriving. There is a lot more than what I could have ever imagined going on behind the
scenes.
It was now time to get ready for the dive, they showed us to the locker room, where they provided us with dive suites.
After changing we moved on to doing another safety briefing where they talked about how the sea life is well fed, and
that you are not to approach them, but it’s ok if they want to approach you.
The dive platform was really nice, almost zero entry point to get in and out of the water. They and several
divemasters in the water kept an eye on not only the sealife but also you. As we started our descent into an
underwater world teeming with over 6,000 sea creatures. I was amazed at just how gracefully you could glide amongst
the really colorful fish, sea turtles, and even go to come face to face with the sharks. All while under the watchful
eye of a certified Disney divermater.
We started out the dive with you following one of the divers master around the aquarium. We swam by the large glass
windows where there were a lot of people watching the sea life swim by. After a loop around the aquarium we got to go
explore on our own. You are not allowed to bring your own camera but there was also a diver with a camera taking
photos, and video of your dive, so that at the end of the dive they are more than happy to sell you a DVD of your
dive.
Things to keep in mind before going on a DiveQuest adventure:
- This is not a cheap dive, we paid $200 plus per person in our dive party.
- Minimum age to participate is 10 years old.
- You are not allowed to bring any of your own equipment.
-
Reservations are required, this is a popular dive experience in the Orlando area, so be sure to book your spot well
in advance.
Overall I really enjoyed this dive. I do get asked if I would do it again, yes, but not just to do it again, I am sure
when the grandkids become of diving age, I will be taking them. But just go and dive there again just because I can,
probably not. I can do a lot of ocean dives for what I paid for this 30 ~ 45 minute dive. Now if Disney comes up with
a way to talk to the sealife, that will be another story.
