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Want to dive with sharks? It's a recession proof adventure sport.
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A whale shark at Atlanta's Georgia Aquarium
A video story about shark diving on CNN.com this week caught my attention. Titled, 'Dive with Sharks on the Cheap,' the segment covers one group's experience tank diving at Atlanta's Georgia Aquarium. At the aquarium, certified divers can take the plunge in a tank the size of a football field and get a look at sea creatures from the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans -- including whale sharks, the largest living species of fish. (They can grow up to 40 feet long).
I decided to research the costs for such a dive, as well as other aquariums that offer similar experiences. And here's what I found:
At the Georgia Aquarium, a 2 1/2 hour dive costs $325, including general admission to the aquarium and rental of all scuba equipment. Dives are offered daily at 3pm.
But Atlanta isn't the only place where divers can go tank diving -- the same opportunity is available at aquariums in eight other states, several of them on the east coast. They include California, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Maryland.
In fact, certified divers from the DC area can tank dive at the nearby National Aquarium in Baltimore. Here, scuba enthusiasts can swim with sharks, rays and a variety of big fish. The cost is $295 for two 30-minute dives, including equipment rental.
And at the Atlantis Marine World Aquarium on Long Island, NY, visitors can dive with sharks for just $155, including equipment rental. These are actually cage dives open to any adult, regardless of previous certification.
This is all good news for scuba divers whose travel budgets are getting pinched during the recession. If you can't afford a trip to popular dive destinations at island resorts, consider a tank dive at one of these US aquariums.
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