Aquarium divers feed fish with hand

Two divers working in the underwater world aquarium where 1,200 sea creatures of 120 species live in the Central Anatolian province of Eskişehir, feed th sharks, stingrays and herd fish with their hands.

The aquarium has more than 700,000 visitors annually in the "city of steppe," which does not have a coast. Stating that underwater is a different world, divers said, "While working, we also rest. The presence of various fish around us makes us feel comfortable."

The ETİ Underwater World, which was opened by the Eskişehir Municipality in 2014, is home to some 1,200 sea creatures of 120 species from the northern Aegean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, Red Sea, South American lakes and Amazon forest. The aquarium has a depth of 3.5 meters and a volume of 1 million liters of water, as well as a 19-meter water tunnel. Sharks, stingrays, corals, sea breams and striped sea breams in the aquarium are fed by professional divers Mehmet Ali Uçar and Özgür Altınışık.

Deniz Avcı, a seafood engineer working in the ETİ Underwater World, said that about 200,000 sea creatures, including the endangered grouper, are living in the aquarium.

"Among the species in the aquarium include sharks, some species living in the Red Sea, octopuses, endangered groupers, freshwater sharks, and plants. Last year, approximately 700,000 people visited the aquarium. The number of visitors is increasing especially during the holidays and summer months. Those who come to Eskişehir definitely visit the historical Odunpazarı houses and Sazova park, but they don't leave without seeing this place. It is interesting for people to have a zoo and an aquarium in a city like Eskişehir."

One of the divers, Altınışık said that they relieved when feeding the fish with their hands...