(cont)

Each morning the tanks’ water must be rigorously checked for Ph, salinity and temperature to ensure healthy conditions for the inhabitants. My next job was to assist the aquarists in the lab, as the morning round of water tests was completed. In addition to their zoology and marine biology degrees, the aquarists must have a sound grasp of the whole science gamut and a rudimentary knowledge of plumbing (two skills in which I’m sadly lacking), especially given the sophisticated nature of the one huge computer controlled plant that filters and maintains the water for the whole building.

The whole centre is built around the main tank and spans four floors, with the exhibits beginning right at the top of the astonishing looking building and the visitors’ route circling the tank three times gradually sloping down to ground level – there are no floors per se, and the main tank is visible through windows located at various levels around it, and within both a tunnel on the ground floor which offers an astonishing view of the tank, and through the glass lift which takes visitors back to the top floor, up through the water, whilst sharks, rays, fish and other creatures swim around it.

My most important job for the morning would be changing the algae bags in the Lagoon of Light, a shallow tank for reef fish adjoining the Endless Oceans tank. This tank is used for smaller species and as an infant enclosure, and is around a metre and a half deep with a three metre deep plunge enabling visitors on the floor below to enjoy a spectacular view of its sharks, tangs and rays.

In the quarantine area, I was given a drysuit and struggled into it, releasing the excess air and waddling over the gantry of the 10m deep 2.5 million litre Endless Oceans tank towards my hungry sharks.

With a bucket full of algae bags, our job was to collect the depleted washing tablet bags from the previous day’s feed and replace them at strategic points around the tank’s coral beds with fresh ones.

The water was actually rather pleasantly warm, and despite a restricting drysuit, it was actually a really nice experience… at least until I glanced my first shark, an adult Bonnethead around 4ft in length, approaching me at speed. The sharks clearly know when it’s feeding time and swim alarmingly close - certainly close enough to touch.