ATLANTA — A group of wounded U.S. military veterans discovered therapeutic healing and wonder during an extraordinary aquatic experience at Georgia Aquarium this week, where they swam alongside massive marine creatures including a whale shark.
The Wednesday event provided members of the Wounded Warrior Project with a therapeutic escape from their ongoing recovery challenges and daily stressors. This organization supports injured veterans and their families through various programs.
“It gives them, you know, 30 or 40 minutes to just relax,” explained Jason Bush, who oversees the aquarium’s Military Salute program. This weekly initiative allows service members to swim or dive alongside marine creatures.
“Whether it’s swimming in the water or scuba diving in particular, you’re weightless,” Bush explained. “So physically, it takes away even for a moment physical pain that you feel when you’re on land.”
During their visit, the veterans swam and snorkeled with Yushan, the massive whale shark, along with stingrays and numerous other sea creatures. Yushan, who was saved from a Taiwanese fish market years ago, represents the sole whale shark living in captivity throughout the Western Hemisphere, aquarium representatives confirmed.
“They go in nervous and they come out saying it’s the best experience they’ve had in their life,” Bush noted.
Marine Gunnery Sergeant William Mund, who sustained injuries during his Iraq deployment, described how the aquatic environment improves his circulation. He called his encounter with the whale shark a “once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
Army Colonel Quentin Collins, who suffered two separate injuries in Iraq from mortar fire and an improvised explosive device that left him paralyzed, said his highlight was “surfing” alongside the whale shark.
“Actually, its wake pulled me with it,” Collins said with enthusiasm. “So I was swimming forward and the next thing I know, I’m going backwards and I realized the whale shark is right below me.”
Collins had been unable to enter water since 2020 due to his injuries. His son Ian Collins witnessed the remarkable moment.
“It’s a wonderful thing to see my dad being able to enjoy things he couldn’t anymore,” Ian said. “It’s a great thing to see.”
