By: Charlie Lawton, Allison Shafer, & Felicia Silva
The Aquarium
Plunge into the depths of wonder at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center! Nestled near the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, this aquarium is not just a popular destination that supports nearly 600,000 annual visitors but is also a dynamic force driving initiatives in conservation, education, tourism, and sustainability! As proud members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Virginia Aquarium stands by their mission to connect people to the marine environment and inspire a more sustainable future.
The Dive Program
The watery world of the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is supported by their dive program, an army of 40 dedicated divers, including both staff and volunteers. Annually, this team completes an impressive total of approximately 850 working dives per year. As they build their scientific diving manual and work towards AAUS accreditation, this team has spent the last year tackling their most recent seal exhibit renovation where they spent 6 months in their drained habitat installing covers that would be “seal proof”.
Beyond their daily dive duties the dive program members have honed their skills in confined space diving, undertaking unique ventures such as exploring underground water storage tanks with the assistance of the City of Virginia Beach’s Occupational Safety and Public Works departments.
As the Virginia Aquarium continues to lead the charge in saving wildlife and their ecosystems, the dive program remains an integral part of their operations, showcasing their dedication to their animals and to the exploration of the underwater world.
DSO Spotlight
Dive Safety Officer Charlie Lawton’s dive career began as early as legally allowed, when at the encouragement of his father he completed his open water certification just one month after his 12th birthday. Although it was so long ago now that he doesn’t remember the details of the dive, he says it was certainly impressionable and now has a hard time imagining himself in any other line of work. Charlie pursued commercial diving school, graduating class of 2013 from the CDA Technical Institute, and is currently pursuing an associate’s degree in Maritime Technology with a specialization in Occupational Safety.
Charlie worked at a local dive shop at home in Georgia after completing his commercial dive training, where ADPA’s very own Jim McAlister also happened to be a service technician. Through that connection, Charlie became part of a special projects team at Georgia Aquarium under Jeff Reid, and the rest is history! Charlie credits that position at Georgia Aquarium as the best professional opportunity he’d ever been given. Concurrent with his work at the dive shop, Charlie spent five years as a maintenance diver at Georgia Aquarium and eventually moved to the DSO position at Virginia Aquarium in 2019.
Charlie says he appreciates how every day is an adventure in this industry. Some days he’s assembling an underwater platform in an exhibit, while other days he’s researching and developing dive policy. That variety is important to him, and he prides himself in being well versed in many different types of work, both below and above the water. Outside of diving, Charlie enjoys walking his dog, Keira, and hanging at the beach with his wife and friends. He just bought a surfboard and hopes to learn to ride it this summer! His entertainment go-tos are baseball (go Braves!) and reality TV; Survivor and Below Deck are favorites.
Dive Staff Spotlight
Virginia’s dive team is small but mighty – accompanying DSO Charlie is maintenance diver Sydney Butler, brand new to the industry after completing a bachelor’s in Marine Science from Coastal Carolina University. Sydney recently moved to Virginia Beach from Myrtle Beach, SC, where she worked as a PADI divemaster and underwater photographer for a local dive shop. Charlie manages the dive policy, scheduling, equipment service, training, and the volunteer program (wow!), while Sydney is responsible for the day-to-day dives and general upkeep of equipment, as well as special projects as they arise.
