This is me! My name is Kimmie Banks and I'm currently the GOT co-op from Northeastern University. I've been here for about 4 months now, and I've quickly learned that there is never a dull moment in the GOT. I was really excited to wear a costume in the tank, but isn't easy to think of a costume that is hydrodynamic and won't look like delicious food to our animals. The angelfish were really interested in eating my Bumble Bee outfit, but luckily it stayed intact.

Earlier that day our volunteers and interns had fun carving pumpkins to put in the GOT.




This year we had such a great turn out for volunteer divers, and Lizzie and Brian were no exception.

Amidst all the candy, Popeye encouraged children and adults alike to eat their spinach.



A fearless Spiderman scaled the windows of the GOT with ease. If you could hear her speak underwater, visitors would hear: "My Spidey senses are tingling."



Luckily, we also had the most graceful of creatures in the tank.



Sam as an angelfish and Ariel as a ballerina.



Anna as a jellyfis. I hope Myrtle didn't try to take a bite!



Being at the top of the GOT was so exciting, you never knew what costume would jump in the tank next.

Where's Kristen? Oh, there she is! As Waldo she's tricky to pick out among all the fish.



We thought the tourist season was over, but Andrea just couldn't miss out on such a fun dive.



We've never tried giving the sharks hot dogs, but apparently they wanted a sample.



All staff and volunteers had a blast this year, and based on the smiles and waves we saw through the windows, we're sure families and their friends had a great time too.




Until next year, have a safe and happy Halloween!



-Kimmie

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Being a Giant Ocean Tank (G.O.T.) diver, as you can imagine, is a dream job. Diving in the tank, however, is only part of what I do here at the Aquarium. First off, I got my start back in 2005 as a penguin volunteer, so I still visit them from time to time, and help out with daily tray tasks and feedings. It takes effort to remember who's who, as the colony is constantly growing, but it's very fun and rewarding.

I received in-house dry suit dive training back in 2007, so that I could partake in outside collecting and off-site collection trips. I had a wonderful time this past Fall, during our Eastport collection trip, where we gathered specimens for the tanks of the coldwater marine gallery, one of which is where our giant pacific octopus resides.

While not underwater in Maine, I am the supervisor of 23 volunteers and interns of the G.O.T., most of which dive in the tank. It's a very fun part of my job, for we have a nice wide variety of personalities, ages and nationalities. The majority of them are in only one day per week, so every day is different!

Other minor things that I take care of include departmental purchasing (everything from shark vitamins to tile & grout brushes for scrubbing the reef), management of our walk-in freezer (storage for thousands of pounds of frozen seafood) and maintenance of the G.O.T. anodes (which prevent the tank frames from eroding).

"What do the sharks eat?" and "What do the sea turtles eat?" and "What do the fish eat?"

It's my favorite time of year - Halloween! Each year, the Aquarium throws a party exclusively for members and their guests, called Fish, Fun & Fright. To add to the festivities, we carve a few dozen pumpkins and put the Jack-O-Lanterns into the Giant Ocean Tank around the reef with glow sticks inside. Myrtle and some of the angelfishes like it when we do this, as some of them find pumpkins tasty!

Here is Mike as a clown, always a crowd favorite.

Don wore a Davy Jones (from Pirates of the Caribbean) mask, which he said prevented him from seeing much of anything during his dive.

Paul, for his costume, borrowed a vest and a hardhat from Turner Construction Company, who is heading up the construction of the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center (coming Summer 2009).

Andrea's idea was to incorporate the SCUBA backpack into her costume, and was a Ghostbuster.

Liz (right) was a fairy and had a lot fun casting spells on the visitors through the windows. She won 'best underwater costume', as voted by all costumed divers. I (left) dressed up as a man on the moon, and walked around weightless-like on the bottom of the tank.

Sam, arrrgh, dove in as a pirate (with a fake sword I promise), and took 2nd prize.