Shark Bait OoHaHa!

July was all about sharks! Even though July 14th was Shark Awareness Day, and July 22nd-29th was Shark Week, the conversation does not end there. These amazing apex predators are often feared by humans, but in reality, we have the largest impact on their populations. Research shows you are more likely to get hit by lightning than you are to get bit by a shark. Yet movies like Jaws have portrayed these amazing animals as people killers and hunters.

Every morning our divers get in to our predator reef tank and clean the interior of the tank. They vacuum the floors, and clean the windows, all while being circled by our sharks. You can watch this daily cleaning on our webcams that are broadcasting LIVE from our two largest tanks. Our divers do their chores, and exit the tank, without being bothered by the sharks. If you are interested in learning more about our sharks, please feel free to ask any of our marine biologists questions while you are visiting the aquarium.

Through fishing and finning, humans are decreasing the world’s shark population faster than they can recover. Aquarium Encounters’ nonprofit program R3EACH, is working on a research project dedicated to the Great Hammerheads. These majestic sharks are just one of the species of sharks considered endangered by the IUCN. The Great Hammerhead Project’s main goal is to learn more about these sharks, where they pup as well as migratory paths. We are asking for help to raise money towards this project, if you would like to contribute any amount please visit our GoFundMe page by clicking here.

Feel free to check out our LIVE webcams for an up close look at the different species of sharks and fish we have at the aquarium. We have scheduled feeds daily at 11:15 am and 3:15 pm, and encounters running all day. This means there are plenty of opportunities to watch our fish and sharks eat!  Webcams!