The New England Aquarium Dive Club Unites Ocean Advocates

When you become a member of the New England Aquarium, you have the opportunity to join the New England Aquarium Dive Club (NEADC)—one of the oldest, largest, and most active dive clubs in the world!

The NEADC was founded by Aquarium employees in 1975. Today, the club has over 600 members whose joint mission is to connect with other local divers and share their love of the ocean, encouraging exploration, education, and conservation through scuba diving. Current members include sport divers, marine scientists, scuba instructors, dive medicine experts, professional divers, new divers, and even non-divers.

“We engage the dive community on topics related to the ocean and conservation, complementing the Aquarium’s overall mission,” said NEADC president Uma Mirani.

New England Dive Club member benefits

Members enjoy monthly dives at some of New England’s best dive sites, a great way to meet fellow club members while helping with ocean cleanup, and an annual behind-the-scenes tour of the Aquarium. Monthly presentations from guest speakers at NEADC meetings have included marine scientists, photographers, authors, conservationists, and dive industry professionals, as well as member presentations of local and international dives. 

One of the most unique membership benefits is the exclusive chance to win a dive in the Aquarium’s Giant Ocean Tank exhibit. This four-story, two-hundred-thousand-gallon coral reef ecosystem contains hundreds of Caribbean reef animals, including eels, barracuda, sea turtles, cownose rays, and numerous types of fish! The exhibit is so large that it was built first, and the rest of the Aquarium was constructed around it.

Ocean research and conservation activities

The New England Aquarium Dive Club’s activities mirror the Aquarium’s mission of ocean conservation. In addition to working with the Aquarium to educate members and the general public about marine life and ocean conservation, club members participate in regular beach cleanups, including an annual “Dry Dive” spring cleanup, and actively collect trash both above and under water during club dives. Many members of the Dive Club also volunteer with the Aquarium, including as dive volunteers, volunteer photographers, and more. 

As a longtime conservation partner of the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), the NEADC hosts a Great Annual Fish Count event in Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, MA, each summer. The event is part of a global, grassroots conservation initiative to collect data on marine life by surveying local fish and invertebrate populations. It is one of the largest single-day Great Annual Fish Count events in North America, and the data collected by divers is submitted to REEF’s database, one of the largest marine life databases in the world! In 2024, the effort surpassed 300,000 surveys conducted at almost 18,000 sites by over 17,000 volunteer divers and snorkelers around the globe. Dives at the NEADC event are followed by a cookout and door prize drawings in the park.

How to join

Scuba divers, snorkelers, freedivers, and anyone else who is interested in the ocean is welcome to join the Dive Club. Look for the option on your Aquarium membership form to add membership to the NEADC. Annual NEADC membership costs only $15 when you become a member of the New England Aquarium (which is a prerequisite for joining the NEADC). If you are already an Aquarium member, you can contact the Membership Department to add NEADC membership to your current membership. 

The NEADC is an exciting opportunity for not just experienced divers but also for those new to the sport. “Joining the NEADC is a great way for new divers or prospective divers to learn more about diving here in New England and around the world,” said Uma. 

It is up to the individual to obtain the appropriate scuba dive certifications and determine what gear is needed to participate in each activity, so just be sure to prepare ahead of time.

To learn more about the Dive Club, stop by one of their monthly meetings, which are held on the third Wednesday of every month at the New England Aquarium and remotely on Zoom. New members and guests frequently attend, and a membership representative there can help you join if you’re interested.

Keep an eye out for the New England Aquarium Dive Club’s booth at World Ocean Day celebrations at the Aquarium, and find out more at the club’s official website.Other benefits for Aquarium members include free admission to the Aquarium, discounts on parking, whale watches, Simons Theatre tickets, and more. Become an Aquarium member or add the New England Aquarium Dive Club to your current membership today!