Nausicaá's professions 3mn
Swimming with sharks
Diving into the centre's pools is one of the daily tasks of Nausicaá's caretakers.
Being in the water in the middle of sharks! A nightmare for some people. At Nausicaá, the handlers approach the sharks on a daily basis.
Grey sharks in the large tank in the Journey on the high seas exhibition, leopard sharks in the Californian tank, zebra sharks in the lagoon and blacktip sharks in the Tropical getaway exhibition all receive regular visits from the team of handlers.
Working underwater
Imagine diving into a 10,000 m3 pool, the volume of 4 Olympic-size swimming pools! But above all, have the sensation of diving into the open sea among the animals that can be found around the island of Malpelo.
This is the daily routine of the Oceanic team's caretakers, who dive into the tank.
There is no recreational diving in this large tank, but there is a list of tasks to be carried out: observing the animals to spot unusual behaviour or signs of injury, and feeding the eagle rays by burying shells in the sand. In addition to these two activities, there was the window cleaning. One hundred square metres of glass to clean in the big tank - that's a lot of work!
Diving in safety
As required by regulations for all aquarium diving, divers are constantly supervised by one of the team who remains on the surface. This supervision ensures the best possible safety conditions.
The diver on the surface is also there to assist his or her colleagues and give them the tools they need for the various tasks to be carried out.
The divers are always on the lookout for shark behaviour. The aim is to avoid interfering with their movements, frightening them or coming into contact with them.
Code of conduct
Over the years, a code of good conduct has been established between the sharks and their caretakers, with each party respecting the other in complete serenity. The divers never forget that they are in the world of the shark. In the water, divers adopt a respectful attitude towards the environment, inspired by the Charter for Responsible Diving, in particular by finning gently so as not to hit the coral around them.
Qualified diving instructors
To be able to carry out their work, the divers at Nausicaá have all obtained a professional diving qualification ("class O" or "class 1" level issued by the Institut National de Plongée Professionnel in Marseille). At Nausicaá, there are currently 25 divers working in the aquariums.
Jobs at Nausicaá
Find out about the many professions that bring Nausicaá to life on a daily basis.