By Gillian Donald, Allison Shafer, & Felicia Silva
The Aquarium
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is tucked away on the northern shore of the Long Island Sound in Norwalk, Connecticut. Located in a former 1860’s iron works factory, it opened its doors in 1988 as the Maritime Center, with a heavy focus on the boat-building cultural history of Connecticut. It was renamed the Maritime Aquarium in 1996 to better identify itself with the public and underscore the increasing importance of the live animal exhibits, which the Aquarium was rapidly expanding. The next decade saw the Norwalk Aquarium expand from its original 100,00 square feet to an impressive 140,00 square feet, housing 8,000 animals of 300 species. Annual attendance averages 500,000 guests, making it one of Connecticut’s largest attractions, drawing many of its visitors from nearby New York City. Its mission is to “ignite a connection to Long Island Sound and the ocean to enrich the lives of all people and inspire action to protect our blue planet;” the Aquarium hosts more than just its local charismatic species, however. It is also home to global characters such as blue and gold macaws, giant pacific octopus, porcupines, and an adorable colony of meerkats.
In 2014, the Aquarium christened its new 64-foot research vessel, R/V Spirit of the Sound, the country’s first research vessel with hybrid-electric propulsion.
The Dive Program
The Maritime Aquarium’s dive team is composed of 25 staff divers and 30 volunteers, including 3 Dive Office staff members. Between them, they conducted 972 dives in 2024, in the Aquarium’s habitats as well as out in Long Island Sound. Dives are conducted under both commercial and scientific standards. In the building, guests can observe divers in the Aquarium’s two signature exhibits: Ocean Beyond the Sound, a 110,00 gallon tank home to sand tiger and sandbar sharks, and Pinniped Cove, an enormous exhibit spanning multiple stories that houses the resident harbor seals. While Pinniped Cove is a classic scrub-a-palooza dive, volunteers who go through additional training can participate in the interactive, in-water presentations in the shark habitat. In the field, the Dive Team partners with the Aquarium’s Conservation Team to deploy and recover acoustic receivers, tracking and analyzing the movement patterns of sand tiger sharks in Long Island Sound.
The Dive Team is proud to be able to offer Advanced Open Water training to its Animal Husbandry staff at no cost to them, removing the barrier of high cost of certification courses that many people face when learning to dive.
DSO Spotlight
Gillian Donald entered the world of diving in conditions that would turn many away. It was in her college years that she took her first plunge in the frigid, dark waters of the Scottish sea lochs and hiked along the loch that held tales of a monster named Loch Ness. While there were no large monsters to be seen in her cold water quest, armed with a drysuit and an army of like-minded university peers by her side, Gillian instead found a love of diving.
Like the rest of us, she took her newfound love and promptly turned it into a profession, one that truly did take her far. Gillian’s seasonal work as a dive and snorkel guide pulled her everywhere and in between. Her excursions plucked her from Scotland, her home of 5 years, and took her to the rugged waters of New Zealand and to the icy waves of Alaska. There was even one summer where she had the chance to work at an aquarium we all know and hold dear to our hearts, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, in their Underwater Explorers program. However, it was not until 2021 when Gillian worked at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island where she really started to learn the ins and outs of what it takes to run a dive program. After checking the AAUS Scientific Diver box off her list, the following year she took the next step in her career and accepted the role as Dive Safety Officer for the Maritime Aquarium where she has continued to learn and grow as a leader.
For Gillian, the best part of the job is not the diving, it’s the people! When she is not spending her time with her diverse team, she is dancing above water, practicing her kickboxing skills or embracing her creative side – knitting, quilting, and reading. It is clear that Gillian has seamlessly built a fulfilling career in this industry alongside those who share a deep love of the ocean.
Dive Staff Spotlight
Gillian, thankfully, is not a one woman show; while she oversees the aquarium’s entire dive program she is fortunate enough to have 2 dedicated teammates by her side. Supporting her are two part-time Assistant Dive Safety Officers, Ken Fusco and Selena Sobanski. Ken joined the team in early 2022 as a volunteer before accepting his present role. When he is not teaching diving at the aquarium, you can catch Ken teaching Marine Biology at his local high school. With 50 years of diving under his belt, he has a lot to offer!
Selena joined the team in December of last year and she completes this strong trio. She first took to the water in 2017 and quickly developed a passion for diving, with her favorite dive site being The Wall in St Croix, USVI. Before returning to Connecticut for nursing school, she spent most of her time exploring the Caribbean’s vibrant reefs. Now, she enjoys expanding her skills as a dive professional, overseeing the volunteer dive team, and learning about the menagerie of animals housed at the Maritime Aquarium.
