If swimming with the sharks ala Kate Gosselin is a little too much excitement for you to handle while on a relaxing family vacation, then consider scaling back your encounter by heading to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The popular travel attraction has a young great white shark on exhibit which you can get up close and personal with minus the SCUBA gear and chum.
The young male denizen of the deep measures four-foot, seven inches and weighs just over 43 pounds. He was brought north last month to Monterey after being collected by aquarium staff swimming near Marina del Ray. His new home is the aquarium’s state-of-the-art, million-gallon Open Sea exhibit. The massive water tank allows aquarium guests to observe sharks in an environment that mimics the open ocean. Aquarium staff plans to keep the baby shark in the exhibit for several months.
In addition, to being able to view the shark feed on salmon, mackerel and other fish, the aquarium hopes that guests will learn more about the fantastic creature, so they can promote stronger protection for the species. Aquarium staff is on hand to teach visitors how sharks breed, move and survive despite being hunted by poachers looking to make money off their fins and teeth. Staff members also hope to squash the misconception that sharks are vicious ocean predators.
Studies show that great white sharks are in decline worldwide, in part because they’re slow to reproduce and because trophy hunters want their precious parts. Despite being protected in California and other U.S. coastal waters, as well as in South Africa, Australia, Mexico and other nations, sharks need additional protection in order to repopulate.
You can get a first-hand look at the new shark by visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Otherwise, you can keep tabs on the juvenile great white shark on the aquarium’s live HD Open Sea cam.
Related Articles:
Cruising the Pacific on a Ribcraft