Heeeeere, sharkie sharkie sharkie
Here’s an opportunity that adventure seekers 10 and up are not going to want to miss: a guided underwater tour of Beijing’s Blue Zoo aquarium complete with the opportunity to pet a shark. Yes, I said pet a shark.
Long-term Beijing resident Steven Schwankert, a veteran diver with more than two decades of diving experience and the proprietor of local diving operation SinoScuba, is hosting a weekend of close encounters with 6 species of sharks (as well as other other underwater denizens) on July 30-31 at Beijing’s own Blue Zoo.
Schwankert and one of his students do a safety check before taking a dive into the main tank at the Blue Zoo
In his second annual "Shark Weekend", Schwankert will be taking four groups of four into the tank at the Blue Zoo for what he describes as "an interactive educational program designed to offer safe encounters with sharks in a controlled environment." No diving experience is necessary (though experienced divers are welcome as well).
All programs include all required scuba equipment rental, admission to the Blue Zoo, a 40-minute guided dive in the Blue Zoo’s main tank, a tour of the aquarium’s non-public areas and a SinoScuba t-shirt. The program will set you back RMB 650 (600 for ages 12 and under).
Some of you may be wondering about Schwankert’s sanity and whether petting sharks is something a wise parent would subject their offspring to — but no worries there as Schwankert is practically on a first-name basis with the sharks at the Blue Zoo and has been taking students on guided tours of the tank for years. And with 20 years of diving in just about every corner of the globe, he’s a stickler for safety.
Given that the program is open to a maximum of 16 participants, you’ll want to act fast if you’re interested. For details, email steven@sinoscuba.com or call 1350 116 3629 … and tell him you heard about it on beijingkids!
For more information on SinoScuba’s Shark Week(end), see the event listing here.
