LITTLE ROCK – One of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s most popular education programs will returns to the state’s lakes this summer. The program is called Underwater Arkansas and is a series of guided dives where participants gain a new perspective of the state’s underwater environment.

The AGFC along with Ocean Extreme Dive and Travel, SportsCo, Red Apple Inn, Eden Isle Marina and Mountain Harbor Resort have joined forces to offer divers a unique view of Arkansas.

Nine sessions will be offered with various topics covered each date. If you’re a certified diver, you’re practically on the boat. If not, contact Mike Taylor at
Ocean Extreme Dive and Travel in North Little Rock at (501) 812-0006 or Jack Dick atSportsCo in Springdale at (479) 751-0636 to get certified at a special. Divers must be at least 12 years old.

You can rent equipment or bring your own. This year the program has expanded to other waters, according to AGFC watchable wildlife coordinator Kirsten Bartlow. “We’re now on three great diving lakes and we have a snorkel and diving program on the Buffalo River,” she explained.

If you love to dive, or have always wanted to learn, don’t miss out. Make your plans to dive with the AGFC and friends this summer. “We're so fortunate to live in The Natural State, with its abundance of wildlife and variety of unique ecological areas. We're very excited about the Underwater Arkansas program because it delves into what lies beneath a lake's surface,” Bartlow said.

The first dive session is scheduled for June 7 on Lake Ouachita. Fish Identification and Management with Brett Hobbs, assistant district fisheries biologist at the AGFC will be the featured speaker. The program will help divers identify native fish species and learn about management practices on lakes in Arkansas.