Tagging (and tickling) a turtle, feeling the tiny tubed feet of a sea cucumber as it moves across the palm of a hand, or diving into the serene blue depths of the North Rock tank, are just some of the unexpected pleasures that await volunteers at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ).

As head aquarist Jennifer Gray explains, "The rapid, exciting developments that are taking place here means that we need more people to help us in our work. The Aquarium is moving forward in leaps and bounds with new exhibits and new animals and we are determined to keep a high degree of professionalism.

Government simply cannot afford to employ to the standard that we wish to maintain.'' In an appeal for people to sign up and join BAMZ's team of "Wet, Wild, Finned and Flippered Friends'', Ms Gray reveals that their new, flexi-hours programme allows people to help out in the evenings. "On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays people can volunteer between the hours of 5.30 to 8.45 p.m.,'' she explains. This move has proved extremely popular, especially with those who work regular office hours. "The nice thing about our new set-up with evening work is that we don't have the general public around so we are free to be as peaceful or as noisy as we like!'' In charge of the volunteers is co-ordinator Saundra Cowen, who says that, for her, the most memorable event this past year was the day spent out on a boat, turtle-tagging. "Someone demonstrated to me how, if you gently stroke their throats when they are lying upside down, they make this wonderful sort of human sound. I never thought that there could be interaction between me and a turtle! It was the most amazing experience you could ever imagine.'' Those who have been "hooked'' as volunteers -- no matter in what capacity -- seem to be almost ecstatic in their praise of the scheme, and all agree that it is the volunteer who stands to benefit from the experience "far more than BAMZ itself.'' Emphasising that there is "something for everyone'' Mrs. Cowen says that people can volunteer for "active'' work such as basic underwater `housework', such as cleaning the walls and floor of the North Rock tank, helping to design and build exhibits, collect specimens from the sea, organise `cut and paste' sessions with children in the Discovery Room, or typing data into the computer.

"Since we opened the North Rock tank we have established a wonderful core group of divers who are very dependable. As people have left the Island, others have stepped forward to replace them, so it's working very well,'' says Ms Gray. "This really made us realise the full potential we have to grow in all directions, so this push for more volunteers is to encourage people to volunteer for other areas as well. We need them as aquarists handling our exhibits, in our Invertebrate House, helping with wild life rehabilitation, or as an animal behaviourist with our colony of seals -- there are so many areas where we urgently need help. I would say,'' she adds, "that diving or working with the animals does take a little bit of energy -- it's a good way of keeping fit -- but we always need help from those who would rather sit in a quiet office or look after the garden and plants area.'' Well-known local actor Jens Hansen, who signed up as a volunteer tank diver after reading about the new North Rock exhibit in Living , freely admits that becoming a volunteer has changed his entire outlook on life. Enthusing about the sheer beauty which surrounds a diver in the tank, he says it is the ideal place to "get back to nature'' and is a wonderful stress reliever. "I never dreamed that I would get to touch a turtle. That was a wonderful experience! My wife is now saying that perhaps if she looked more like a fish she might get more attention!'' Volunteering at BAMZ has certainly changed Ian Walker's life. Having recently qualified as a veterinarian in the UK, his spell of volunteer work has led to a paid internship at the Flatts establishment and he has now decided to pursue a career as a marine mammal veterinarian.

"I am applying for internships overseas so this experience is extremely helpful for me. I was introduced to the volunteer side of the Aquarium by a friend and Saundra signed me up for everything in sight -- I think I was basically sucked in,'' he admits with a laugh, "but I am very glad I was, as volunteering polarised my thinking into realising that this is really what I want to do.'' Admitting that he "loves'' working in the tank, one of Mr.

Walker's main contributions has been to produce a medical page for each of the animals, which is placed in the files for future reference.

Although, he says, some of the tasks are "fairly mindless'', there is an unparalleled opportunity to move around the zoo, learning about Bermuda's natural history and marine environment. "This is incredibly important to everyone's future, so even if you are performing very simple tasks, you are the one who benefits! You can go swimming, which becomes far more fun because you learn to understand the ecosystem you're looking at, and you can go diving -- for free! One of the best aspects,'' he adds, "is that you meet so many, wonderful people. The staff here are so welcoming and they really encourage you to do your own research.'' It should be noted that divers need a certificate for insurance purposes, but the basic course can be completed in a week or so at a local dive school.

Every diver is tested and there is always a qualified aquarist on duty and someone watching over every diver in case of any emergency.

Kris Cash, another young volunteer, is convinced that her work at BAMZ helped her land a job as a dolphin trainer at the new Dolphin Quest venture in Southampton. "I was very interested in working with the dolphins and thought that volunteering here would give me some valuable experience. So I talked with Saundra and she hooked me up to do the `education morning' with Mary Winchell (education officer) and the Invertebrate House. That was the beginning, and I found myself doing interpretive tours, setting up the Discovery Room, arts and crafts, collecting specimens by looking under rocks on the shoreline, helping to put displays together.'' Agreeing that tagging turtles was one of the biggest perks (as Mr. Hansen describes it, "out in a boat all day, bobbing about in the blue, blue sea''), Ms Cash says that for her, the most valuable reward from volunteering has been her increase in self-confidence and self-esteem. She says, "I wasn't working for a time so I was able to spend a lot of time here, and every single day I was profusely thanked for everything I did! The staff here are wonderful, making you feel you really are making a difference. I am sure that working closely with children here helped me get the dolphin job. And, working as a volunteer has given me a greater awareness of Bermuda as a whole. I wasn't sure that I was particularly cut out for working at BAMZ but you learn so much as you go along, and it certainly makes you look at this island home of ours with completely new eyes! Most amazing, though, was that I was invited to attend a staff meeting, where I was not only asked for an activity report but was also asked my opinion on things.'' It is this sense of belonging to a large, like-minded family which probably accounts for BAMZ's success in attracting -- and keeping -- volunteers. "The staff make a real effort to promote socials and things to get us together,'' explains Mr. Walker. "Bobbii Cartwright (interpretive tour guide supervisor) arranged for us to visit David Wingate at Nonsuch Island which was a fantastic experience, and we have all kinds of social evenings as well.'' For Hans Jensen, the biggest thrill is to give "dive talks'' to the general public on the innovative, two-way microphone. "You could say that I live to do dive talks! I love being in the limelight, it's like being on stage.'' Mr.

Hansen says he especially enjoys talking to children while he is the tank.

"You can interact with people and you can make friends with the fish. There's a grouper here that definitely comes and greets the divers, and nudges you on the arm to say `hello'. Everyone has their own reason for getting in the tank -- you can help the Aquarium by giving your time but you get so much more back. You are learning new things, spending time with people you would normally never get to meet, learning things about yourself. It's an escape to get in that tank -- like stepping out of this world and into another one! It has to be the best stress management miracle cure! And I like to pass on what I am learning to my son. He's only two, but he already loves the Aquarium and the Zoo. I guess the main kick for me, though, is seeing the looks on kids' faces as you do a dive talk -- it's as if you are briefly in touch with their souls.'' With BAMZ now a major and constant attraction for visitors and locals alike, Ms Gray recalls that when the North Rock exhibit opened last spring, about 10,000 visitors poured in over two days. "Now, we are adding to our exhibition and starting on a new programme which bring the animals nearer to people and it's called `Interpretation'. It is almost exclusively run by volunteers with scheduled talks for the public. We are finding that this is what people really want. In fact, it's getting more personal all the time.'' Have fun by volunteering at the Aquarium "You can even have a diver come down in the tank and wish you a happy birthday over the microphone -- that seems to work very well for both children and adults.'' Besides the obvious rewards as a fund-raiser, BAMZ has found that their policy of renting the Aquarium out for various functions in the evenings is greatly increasing general interest in BAMZ. "We have staff and volunteers come in to give dive talks for company functions and private parties. We also have destination management companies now, which direct people to us to bring large and small meetings to Bermuda. Sometimes, they hold their dinner parties right here, next to the north tank. It's a wonderful setting!'' Ms Gray says that volunteers may work for a minimum of one hour. "Ideally, of course, we would like to have people giving us one to four hours a week but one hour a month is just fine. What we do have to have is reliability, so if you volunteer for just one hour, we need to know that the volunteer will turn up or find a replacement. We also want volunteers to run their own teams of workers, so that Saundra and I don't have to spend hours on the phone.'' Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer is asked to contact volunteer co-ordinator Saundra Cowen at BAMZ, at 293-2727, extension 130 or 293-7074.