Light and Motion is one of many generous sponsors of the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society. I visited the factory and offices in Monterey Bay where they supply the world with some of the best dive lights and video housings in the industry.
Blaise Douros was kind enough to give me a tour of the old canning factory turned offices. The product design, manufacture, assembly, marketing, sales and customer service is all carried out in the building; this provides ease of design, prototypes, trials and any changes to be made.

While in town I also spent a lot of time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The aquarium is one of the largest in the country and has many exhibits of local ecosystems to educate people about California’s beautiful wildlife. The aquarium has a great philosophy which is to inspire conservation of the oceans. To educate children, the aquarium runs a summer program called Underwater Explorers where kids are given the opportunity to get in a dry suit and snorkel in a tide pool that is home to many local creatures such as abalone, urchins, mussels and various fish. School groups are also encouraged to visit the aquarium and the tours for schools from all around the country are welcoming its 2 millionth child this week! At the aquarium the kids get a glimpse into the underwater world. The often fascinating and bizarre creatures glide around in the tanks while hordes of children are pressed against the outside of the glass. The more these children know about the ocean the more likely they are to care about conserving it.

Scott Chapman, the Volunteer Diver Coordinator and DSO organised for me to dive in the exhibits. There are currently 100 volunteer divers at the Aquarium who help with various maintenance and feeding shows. The Open Seas exhibit was first, the largest exhibit at the aquarium. We enter and swim along the blue walls. Hammerheads part the ball of sardines, rays glide along the bottom below the circling Tuna while Dolphinfish, Sunfish and Green Turtles break the surface. The Aquarium has also housed Juvenile Great White Sharks in this display. The program has been running for almost 10 years – Great Whites that were by-catch in gill nets in Southern California have an opportunity to be tagged and either released or brought the aquarium for a stay no longer than 180days. So far there have been 6 Great Whites over the 10 year period, all of which were tagged and released after their stay. The Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) website allows people the follow the tagged Great White movements as well as tagged individuals from other species.

I was also able to dive the ‘habitats’ and ‘kelp’ exhibits; both of which show the local ecosystems. The Monterey Bay Aquarium differs from many by their ability to use fresh sea water in many of the exhibits. The water out the front of the aquarium is pumped in; the kelp exhibit cycles in a new batch of water every 2 hours or so. After three dives I knew what it felt like to be one of the fish in the tank – Children staring, waving and pressing their faces against the glass. It was a great experience to see behind the scenes at the aquarium, dive with the creatures and meet the people that put in a lot of work to make the place run so smoothly.

Thank you to George Peterson and Scott Chapman the Diving Safety Officers of the Monterey Bay Aquarium who provided me the experience. Andrew and Anne for welcoming me and taking me for the dives. Thank you to everyone at Light and Motion. And a huge thank you to Blaise and Lindsey Douros for their generosity and entertainment, I had a wonderful time!