A group of injured U.S. military veterans took part in a unique healing experience swimming with a whale shark and other marine animals at the Georgia Aquarium. The immersive interaction offered a rare moment of physical relief and emotional respite for participants recovering from severe wounds and trauma.
Sponsored by the aquarium’s Military Salute program, the event brought veterans face-to-face with Yushan, the only whale shark in captivity in the Western Hemisphere, rescued years ago from a Taiwanese fish market. The veterans snorkeled and swam with the whale shark as well as manta rays, giant groupers, and stingrays, surrounded by the weightless environment of the aquarium’s vast tanks.
Jason Bush, the Military Salute program manager, explained that the buoyancy of water temporarily eases physical pain, helping veterans forget their injuries. Participants often arrive apprehensive but leave describing the experience as transformative and unforgettable.
Among them, a U.S. Marine severely wounded in Iraq said the water improved his blood flow and called his swim with the whale shark a once-in-a-lifetime event. Another veteran, a paralyzed U.S. Army colonel injured twice in combat, described “surfing” the wake of the whale shark as his favorite moment—his first time back in the water since 2020.
His son witnessed the experience and expressed joy witnessing his father enjoy an activity that had become impossible due to injury. The event underscores the power of aquatic environments and wildlife encounters to provide psychological and physical benefits for wounded veterans.