G.O.T.

For those of you who have never been to the New England Aquarium, the center piece of the museum is what we all fondly call the GOT, or the Giant Ocean Tank. The Giant Ocean Tank is 23' deep and and holds 200,000 gallons of water. There are about 125 species and over 600 animals including 3 sharks and 5 sea turtles. Because of the incredible size of the tank the only efficient way to feed the animals and take care of the tank is to send in SCUBA divers. To be a diver in the tank is a coveted and envied position and takes a very large amount of qualification, including more than 75 previous dives. However, if you're lucky and have the right connections you might get to go in as a guest diver. Which I did.

I have to say, diving in that tank was one of the most interesting experiences of my life. The first question I get from most people is "Can you see out?" The answer to that is yes, but you really have to focus and look for people. For the most part, once you're in the water you're just much too absorbed in what's going on around you to really care about the people outside. In fact, there were several times where I brushed against the glass and startled myself because I forgot that I was in a tank and not the open ocean.

The second question is "Do the sharks bite" to which I answer a resounding "NO". In the open ocean, these Sand Tiger Sharks might eat only once or twice a month. At the New England Aquarium, we feed the twice a day. This means that they are full and happy and really have no desire to persue prey.

By far the best part of the tank is the well know Myrtle the Turtle. Myrtle is our green sea turtle, weighing in at a hefty 560 pounds and is definitely the star of the show. She has been at the aquarium since it opened in 1969 and is estimated to be between 60 and 70 years of age. Something that many people don't know is that sea turtles have a "living shell", meaning that she can actually feel her shell. Sea Turtles will scratch their shells against things for many reasons including cleaning, but also just because it feels good. Myrtle loves to be scratched and we spent about 15 minutes just scratching our fingers over her shell. She actually rocks back and forth like a little puppy, enjoying her rubbing time.

To see the GOT in action go to http://www.neaq.org/webcams/gotcam_stream.php and check out the streaming webcam. If you catch it at the right time, you can see the divers in there feeding or doing maintenance.

(all photos courtesy of www.NEAq.org)