Community at Work: Aquarium volunteer Debra Hill is a 'scuba ...
UNDERWATER CITY: There are 11,000 ocean animals, representing nearly 500 species of fish and sea life at the aquarium, including sharks, sea otters, seals, sea lions, sea jellies, rays, lobsters, an octopus, crabs, puffins, corals, anemones, sea... I decided to take up diving and loved it. ". UNDERWATER CREDENTIALS: Hill boasts a list of certifications, including advanced open-water diver, rescue diver, scuba instructor, cave diver and advanced deep air diver. "They love it. ". DIVING: Outside of the aquarium, Hill is a member of the South Orange County Dive Club and runs the Girls Gone Diving program. CHANCE TO VOLUNTEER: Hill learned about diving at the local aquarium while volunteer diving with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Search and Recovery Team. As a scientific diver, she participates in aquarium ocean research and conservation programs, including removing stranded fishing gear from the ocean bottom. Debra Hill likes to dive beneath the surface, both as a psychiatrist and a volunteer diver at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. "Anchovy is like giving candy to fish - really smelly and oily," Hill said. DIVING FUN: Hill has dedicated nearly every Friday to the aquarium since it opened. In fact, "From Bullets to Bubbles," her documentary about disabled veterans learning how to heal through diving, will be showing at Divers Day at the Aquarium of the Pacific from 11 a. m. to 3 p. m. on March 24 in the Honda Theater. Here, Hill chats about recurring dreams of diving and interacting with sea creatures large and small. RESPONSIBILITIES: Hill leads the dive team on Friday mornings and schedules divers and their training. "SCUBA SHRINK": Hill says a lot of people call her "the scuba shrink. HELPING OUT: Hill is one of roughly 1,526 people who volunteered at the Aquarium in 2010. FISH FOOD: Clams, lettuce, broccoli and especially anchovy.
By ksl.com