Sean McGahern will dive into the exotic tank at the Malta National Aquarium on Wednesday and surface eight days later.
The 41-year-old diver will be attempting to set the Guinness Word Record for the longest dive in a controlled environment. The current record stands at eight days and 17 hours.
“I will dive in on Wednesday at 10am, and, if everything goes according to plan, I will spend between six and eight days under water – eating, drinking and sleeping.”
Species inside the tank include black tip sharks, reef sharks, zebra sharks, horn sharks, cownosed rays and honeycomb rays.
Through this quest, also known as a ‘finathon’, Mr McGahern hopes to raise awareness about the problem of over-fishing sharks in the Mediterranean.
To pass the time, Mr McGahern said he would be trying to befriend the different species housed in the aquarium, mainly the sharks and sting rays.
“During training, there have been times where I would be sleeping and, as soon as I wake up, I find myself face to face with a shark. That’s always an interesting wake-up call,” he said.
On Saturday, Mr McGahern ate his last solid meal in preparation for the dive this week, because, once underwater, he will be on a strict liquid diet.
He and his team from Sharklab Malta, an NGO that aims to raise awareness about sharks, have been working on the challenge for weeks, making sure he had the proper equipment needed to make this dive a success. “When you’re underwater for a long time, your skin could start to peel off, so we had to make sure I had special dry gloves to prevent that from happening,” he said.
To change the oxygen tanks, a specifically designed harness will be used, which will make it possible for Mr McGahern’s tanks to be changed without interrupting the dive. While eager to set the world record, Mr McGahern said he also hoped that, through this gruelling challenge, he would help collect donations that would go towards protecting sharks and sting rays.
Those visiting the Malta National Aquarium will be able to see Mr McGahern through the viewing windows at the walk-in tunnel. “I will be very close to the viewing windows, so visitors can come over and have a look at what I’m up to.”