The
Audubon Aquarium's brand new 13,000-gallon shark and ray touch pool will be
opening on July 2. The Shark Discovery habitat will allow visitors to touch a
variety of sharks and stingrays, while a massive interactive LED screen
immerses them into an underwater world! Observe the bamboo shark and the
southern stingray swimming amongst other species such as the white spotted
shark and the cownose ray. This habitat will offer an interactive experience
that highlights ocean diversity.
Senior Vice President and Managing
Director of Audubon Aquarium Rich Toth says that sharks are extremely important
in ecosystem maintenance. Sharks are often misunderstood, but in reality, they
have more to fear form humans than humans do from them; each year, tens of
millions of sharks are killed for their fins. Sharks are normally wary of
humans and will swim away long before they are seen. Toth explains further, "Globally, shark and ray
species are threatened with extinction largely due to overfishing and other
unsustainable human practices."
The Aquarium is
dedicated to helping SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) through
collaborative action plans that tackle specific goals and projects addressing
the needs of each species. The Shark Discovery exhibit hopes to foster a
connection to marine life through hands on interaction and, in turn, encourage
appreciation for sharks and their role in the ocean.
The $2.9
million habitat is the aquarium's largest project since the 2014 opening of the
Great Maya Reef exhibit. Hopefully, the touch pool will inspire guests to take
action and further research on how to protect marine life.
To read more about the aquarium and the new exhibit, as well as its commitment to protecting marine life, visit its website at audubonnatureinstitute.org/aquarium.
