American astronaut Buzz Aldrin American astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, turned ‘aquanaut' in Dubai last week when he helped launched new diving programmes at The Atlantis hotel. "The 84-year-old scuba-loving astronaut is a keen diver and had heard about our new diving programmes, so we arranged for him to be here. He joined us to help launch our exciting programmes and it was great to have him at Atlantis Mission Control,” a hotel spokesperson told XPRESS.
She said the extremely fit octogenarian spent time exploring the ruins of the lost city of Atlantis and performed playful impromptu anti-gravity antics as hotel guests at the glass observation window watched in delight.
Aldrin is the second person to have walked on the moon and was the lunar module pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing in history. He set foot on the moon on July 21, 1969, following mission commander Neil Armstrong. A retired colonel in the United States Air Force (USAF) and a USAF Command pilot and astronaut, Aldrin's underwater interface with sharks, rays and 65,000 fish at the Dubai hotel is being much talked about.
The new diving programmes introduced include the Atlantis dive discovery for beginners; Atlantis dive explorer and an exclusive royal dive for those who want a VIP experience. Those above six can also do snorkelling.
The Atlantis dive discovery, which costs Dh1,150, is an introductory diving experience which gives new divers a basic skill session before a 20-minute dive in the Ambassador Lagoon. No diving licence is required although it is being positioned as a jumping off point to the full PADI diving certification.
The Atlantis dive explorer, at Dh950, entails a 30-minute dive session in the Ambassador Lagoon, where divers can come face to face with sharks, fish and rays.
The VIP royal dive costs Dh12,000 and gives guests the entire lagoon to themselves. They also get to take home a mask, fish ID booklet, a free video of their experience on a flashdrive and a complimentary dinner for them and up to three guests after the dive.
Other fun water activities include a shark safari for Dh275, an ‘ultimate' snorkel for Dh120 and an ‘ultimate' dive for Dh2,500.
Source: Gulf News