San Francisco’s Aquarium of the Bay, located on the historic San Francisco waterfront at Pier 39, has been one the most popular attractions in the Bay Area since it opened in 1996. The aquarium contains over 750,000 gallons of salt water and is home to 24,000 animals from 200+ species. It is the only Smithsonian-affiliated aquarium in the state of California.
The Aquarium has recently launched a new program for certified scuba divers titled Diving for Citizen Scientists. Geared for divers who want to get learn more about our oceans and become more involved with ocean conservation, this certification course includes education, training, and open water diving. Participants can begin academic portion of the class immediately and open water dives take place on December 10th and 11th.
The course will be led by NAUI Instructor, Doug Apple, Manager of Education and Outreach at Aquarium of the Bay with support from Chris Grace, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and Aquarium of the Bay’s Dive Safety Office.
The course will include
- NAUI training materials
- Seven total dives
- Tank fills for Open Water Dives (6 tank fills)
- Instruction
- Certification Cards (2)
- A guided VIP Experience tour of the Aquarium before opening hours
- A dive in the Aquarium nearshore tunnel
Successful completion of the course will earn each diver certifications as a NAUI Underwater Naturalist and as a NAUI Kelp Restoration Diver. Registration is now open, and students can begin their at-home academic training immediately, with open water dives taking place on December 10th and 11th.
For more information on this course and to register, please visit the Aquarium of the Pacific’s Diving for Citizen Scientists site.