Campers of the Boynton Beach summer camp program suited up with their snorkels and fins to take a dip beneath the earth’s surface to discover the underworld mysteries of the deep blue sea.
This initiative called Project Seahorse was created when co-founders Dan Volker and Jim Abernathy saw families visiting Blue Heron Bridge.
“There would be huge numbers of these little kids in waist deep water and they’d see divers and run up to the divers and the kids would say, “what do you see?” And we’d explain it to them and they’d say, “can I borrow your mask?” but they don’t swim.” So Jim and I were looking at each other like this is crazy, why doesn’t someone fix this?” Volker said.
Three years later, the Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, City of Boynton Beach Recreation and Parks Department and Project Seahorse united to teach children ages 10 through 12 how to snorkel and brush up on their swimming skills before the big dive.