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Cincinnati Diving Center is the official training facility for the Cincinnati Zoo Manatee Volunteer Program. The Cincinnati Zoo Manatee Springs Exhibit opened in 1999. The Cincinnati Zoo is one of only four organizations outside of Florida with manatees (the others are the Columbus Zoo, the Dallas Aquarium, and the San Diego Zoo).
Local divers care for and maintain the manatee exhibit daily. Interested in helping? Divers must be 18 years old and need a minimum of 10 logged recreational dives . You then take the NAUI Manatee Experience Course, which is offered the 3rd Tuesday of every odd month at CDC. The course takes about two hours and costs $65. You'll also need to complete a quick pool session. There are some additional requirements from the Zoo and OSHA. Prior to your orientation at the Zoo, you'll need to have a current CPR / First Aid card and will need a current negative TB test. We schedule CPR / First Aid classes at various times at a cost of $85. If you sign up for both the Manatee and First Aid class at the same time, the cost is only $130, a $20 savings.
Once you've completed your classroom work, your pool work, and your orientation dive at the zoo, you can schedule your time in the tank at the dive shop or online. You can help out as much or as little as you like, but the Zoo requests that everyone dive at least once every three months. The list is totally voluntary. We even provide the air tanks and fills for free. Volunteering at the Zoo can qualify as a tax deduction (the fine print: consult your tax advisor).
Once you've completed the course, when can you dive and what's involved? There are three divers needed for the cleaning dives 365 days a year, 7:00AM to 9:00AM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, 8:30AM to 10:30AM on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and either 8:30AM to 10:30AM or 12:30PM to 2:30PM on weekends. You vacuum the tank, wipe down the glass, deliver breakfast to the guys, and what ever else the keeper staff needs.
Class dates:
3rd Tuesday of every Odd Month
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