Miss Georgia swims at Georgia Aqarium

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Miss Georgia swims at Georgia Aqarium

Photos of Miss Georgia Emily Cook scuba diving at the Georgia Aquarium's Ocean Voyager exhibit Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009.

Miss Georgia 2009 Emily Cook, of Marrietta, swam in the Georgia Aquarium's Ocean Voyager exhibit on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009. The 6.3 million gallon tank has thousands of fish, including a manta ray, zebra sharks, sawfish, leopard whiprays, bowmouth guitarfish and schools of tarpon, pompano and cownose rays.

Cook, a certified scuba diver, gets ready to for her dive. The dive was scheduled to last 30 minutes.

Cook is a graduate from the University of Miami and has been accepted into UGA's Law School. She will take time off to compete in Miss America beauty pageant in January, 2010.

Emily Cook listens as the divemaster Jim McAlister instructs her and other participants.

Cook is finally ready to dive in.

Cook waves a hand to Hayden Petty, 2 1/2, from inside the Ocean Voyager exhibit. Petty came with her mother Lisa Petty, of Canton.

"I am so very excited about this and have to say many thanks to the Miss Georgia Board, the Georgia Aquarium, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for setting this up," Cook said later.

Cook (center) swims over the bridge with other participants as visitors look and take pictures.

Aquarium visitors watch the scuba divers work their way among the schools of fish.

Afterwards, Emily Cook gives a thumbs-up at the end of her 30-minute swim. Watch for her at the Miss America pageant, held on Jan. 30, 2010 in Las Vegas.

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Miss Georgia 2009 Emily Cook, of Marrietta, swam in the Georgia Aquarium's Ocean Voyager exhibit on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009. The 6.3 million gallon tank has thousands of fish, including a manta ray, zebra sharks, sawfish, leopard whiprays, bowmouth guitarfish and schools of tarpon, pompano and cownose rays.

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