Journey with Gentle Giants — Swim

We HIGHLY recommend you arrive at Georgia Aquarium at least 1 hour prior to allow time for parking, security, and check-in. Participants must check-in at least 30 minutes BEFORE their event at the Animal Interaction Desk on the second floor, located above the gift shop.

 Late arrivals will not be able to participate in the program, so please arrive early.

The Aquarium offers two changing rooms, male and female, with open changing area and private shower stalls. We are aware of the limitations this infrastructure presents and recognize that not all guests conform to a binary system of gender. Our aquarium team is committed to making accommodations to any guest who requests additional privacy when changing and will make every effort do so with advance notice. At Georgia Aquarium, both employees and guests are welcome to use the restroom matching their gender identity.

Cancellations and no-shows will not be refunded or rescheduled. Guests arriving late (after the required program check-in time) will not be permitted to participate in the program and will not be refunded or rescheduled. We encourage guests to arrive at the Aquarium with plenty of time to park, enter, and check into the program. Please plan accordingly. To change your reservation, please contact the Georgia Aquarium Call Center at 404.581.4000. Due to the nature of caring for animals, Georgia Aquarium reserves the right to modify, cancel and/ or reschedule programs without notice. Reasonable accommodations will be made to reschedule guests as effectively as possible.

Open Water certified divers ages 12 and up are eligible to participate in the SCUBA program. All SCUBA gear is provided for the 30-minute dive and personal masks are permitted.

Daily at 3 p.m. and with an additional dive on Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. This is a 2.5 hour experience. The dive portion will last approximately 30 minutes. You may need to arrive earlier if you wish to experience the Dolphin Celebration presentation.

No.

The water temperature is 77ºF.

At Georgia Aquarium, we recognize that vacation plans can change. The Aquarium does not offer refunds, but a date may be changed free of charge if the change is made at least 14 days in advance of the original date of your visit. If the change is made less than 14 days prior to the original date of your visit, a $50 change fee per ticket will be charged. Cancellations within 48 hours and no-shows will not be refunded or rescheduled. To change your reservation, please contact the Georgia Aquarium Call Center at 404-581-4000.

You can make a reservation by registering online or calling 404-581-4000. After you have purchased your reservation, you will receive a confirmation email that will include instructions how to supply additional information and submit the waivers required to participate in the program. All participants must have the program liability waiver and animal interactive program guidelines signed and dated prior to participating in the program. Guests under the age of 18 must have the program liability waiver and animal interactive program guidelines signed and dated by their parent or court appointed legal guardian.

Please go to the Animal Interactions desk, located next to the Ocean Voyager Built by The Home Depot, to check in 30 minutes prior to your experience.

We can accommodate wetsuit sizes and equipment sizes for people who weigh between 45 lbs and 320 lbs.

For the swim program, the cost is $235.99 plus tax for non-Members and $212.99 plus tax for Annual Pass Members. For the SCUBA dive program, the cost is $335.99 (plus tax) for non-Members and $279.99 for Annual Pass Members. Program price includes all equipment for the swim or dive, certificate of participation, t-shirt and souvenir photo. DVD will be available for purchase. Equipment provided: mask, fins, tank (snorkel for swim), buoyancy device, regulator (for dive only), weights, booties and wetsuit. Personal masks are permitted, but will be required to be disinfected.

All you will need to bring is your swimsuit. If diving, you will have to provide proof of open water certification from a nationally or internationally recognized organization, along with photo identification. Georgia Aquarium will supply all equipment (mask, fins, tank, buoyancy device, regulator, weights, wetsuit and booties) and towels. Please do not bring your own equipment. Personal masks are permitted. Cameras of any kind are not permitted in the water. Comfortable changing rooms with showers and lockers are provided.

The exhibit contains 6.3 million gallons of water and ranges in depth from 20 to 33 feet deep. This exhibit houses thousands of fish including whale sharks, zebra sharks, sawfish, leopard whiprays, bowmouth guitarfish, humphead wrasses, pompano and several species of rays. That’s just to name a few.

Guests will swim at the surface with a flotation device and a snorkel. The following equipment is provided: mask and snorkel, gloves, booties, wetsuit, and flotation device. Personal masks are permitted.

Daily at 4:30 p.m. This is a 2.5 hour experience. The swim portion will last approximately 30 minutes.

All participants must be at least 12 years of age. All guests 18 years of age and younger must come with a participating adult.

• EACH child 12-14 years old must be accompanied by a participating adult. There is a 1:1 child-to-adult ratio for children 12-14 years old.
• If one or more of the children are above 15 years old or older, there can be one participating adult. There is a 1:7 adult-to-child ratio for children 15-17 years old.

Guests under the age of 18 must have the program liability waiver signed and dated by their parent or court-appointed legal guardian.