It's Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, but did you know there are also places at SeaWorld and Discovery Cove where "finatics" can get closer than ever to these amazing creatures?
At SeaWorld Orlando's Shark Encounter, you can observe variety of stunning species such as sandtiger sharks, sandbar sharks, nurse sharks and Atlantic blacktip sharks through a glass tunnel that runs through their underwater world. An awesome addition to Shark Encounter is Sharks Underwater Grill, where you can also enjoy fine dining and a fascinating view in an upscale, full-service restaurant that puts world-class entrees on your plate and a window into the world of sharks before your eyes.
And across the street at Discovery Cove, guests get the feeling of swimming alongside sharp-toothed reef sharks, safely behind glass of course, at The Grand Reef.
Hungry for more tidbits of information? Take a bite out of these shark facts:
- Sharks have been around for about 400 million years.
- Even before dinosaurs roamed the earth, sharks hunted through the oceans. They're such good survivors that they've had little need to evolve in the last 150 million years.
- A shark may grow and use over 20,000 teeth in its lifetime.
- Almost all sharks are "carnivores" or meat eaters. They live on a diet of fish and sea mammals (like dolphins and seals) and even such prey as turtles and seagulls.
- Guests to SeaWorld Orlando and San Diego can experience Shark Encounter. A 60-foot shark tunnel supports the pressure of more than 500 tons of water.
- The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund (SWBGCF) supports projects to protect sharks around the world, including studies on the migration patterns, population status, sizes, and age/genders of these mysterious sharks. Learn more at: SWBG-ConservationFund.org
- SeaWorld and the Hubbs/SeaWorld Research Institute study sharks and educates the public on their vital role in the ocean environment.
- Sharks are found in all of the world's oceans, including the Antarctic and Arctic.
- Sharks have starred in many movie roles; the most famous was 1975's blockbuster hit Jaws.
