Melvin Baum promoted to Oahu Operations Manager at Atlantis Adventures.
By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– Atlantis Adventures announced that Melvin Baum has been promoted to Oahu Operations Manager, a position that puts him in charge of directing the day-to-day activities of the Atlantis Submarines’ tour experience off Waikiki Beach.
Baum joined Atlantis in 2006 and has been steadily promoted to positions of increased responsibility since then, most recently holding the title of Senior Pilot. In that role, one of his duties was piloting Atlantis’ submarines to depths of more than 100 feet and interacting with customers on the marine life activity taking place all around.
“A key aspect of Mel’s new position is ensuring that our submarine tour is a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable experience for our guests and he’s the perfect person to take on that responsibility,” said Mark Almaraz, Waikiki General Manager of Atlantis Adventures. “Along with having a warm and engaging personality, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience of what makes our undersea tour such a fun and exciting adventure.”
An avid scuba diver, Baum has 18 years of experience in Hawaii’s hospitality and ocean activities industries. Before joining Atlantis, he spent 12 years with Ocean Concepts Scuba serving in various capacities as a scuba instructor, boat captain, and operations manager. He is an alumnus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Resource Management.
Atlantis’ Waikiki submarine tour begins at the Duke Kahanamoku Beach pier fronting the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. Guests are carried aboard Atlantis’ Discovery shuttle boat to the dive site while enjoying the views of Waikiki and Diamond Head Crater.
Atlantis uses the world’s most technologically advanced passenger submarines, which feature a spacious, air-conditioned cabin that offers a large viewing portal for each seat and lots of leg and headroom to comfortably enjoy the tour. The high-tech submarines, which seat either 48 or 64 passengers, are battery-powered, emit no pollutants, and move through the water quietly and without disturbing the fish and marine life.
A highlight of the tour is seeing the vibrant self-sustaining eco-system created by the artificial reefs that Atlantis installed with assistance from the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources and University of Hawaii’s Sea Grant Program. A large area that was mostly barren of marine life activity before the reefs’ installation is now teeming with fish and other marine life, including green sea turtles, moray eels, stingrays, and reef sharks.
The artificial reefs include a series of large concrete “pyramids” anchored onto the ocean floor, the sunken remains of two airplanes, and two scuttled vessels, all of which now serve as thriving undersea habitats.
Throughout the tour guests are entertained and informed about the diversity of fish and marine life, their habitat, and the importance of stewardship and sustainability of the ocean. It’s a message that comprises the core of Atlantis’ operational philosophy.
Atlantis’ installation of the artificial reefs and its eco-friendly tour operations off Waikiki contributed to the company being recognized as a Certified Ecotour Operator with the highest designation of Gold status by the Hawaii Ecotourism Association in 2011.