Guests can watch these sharks explore their new home while learning what makes sharks so unique and vitally important to the health of ocean ecosystems. The Zebra Sharks and Shark Ray are just a few of the dozens of shark and ray species visitors will discover during Shark Summer at Newport Aquarium.
“Shark Summer is really exciting, and it’s a great interaction for our visitors. It’s also our 25th anniversary, and we celebrated that by welcoming three new faces to the Surrounded By Sharks exhibit. We’ll see Shan the Shark Ray. She is adorable. Then, we will also see our two new Zebra Sharks. They are both males, and they have really been a joy to watch, and visitors have enjoyed seeing them so far,” said Madison Brady, public relations manager at Newport Aquarium.
She said one thing she is thrilled about is being able to watch kids get up close to the sharks, who are often misunderstood due to the way they are represented in movies or on television.
“It’s neat to see that connection being made between kids and the animals. Then, when they leave the aquarium, they are inspired to take care of the waterways around them, and the sharks that live within it,” said Brady.
Both male Zebra Sharks are about two years old and swim through the 385,000-gallon exhibit, sometimes resting on the bottom of the sandy floor where visitors can take a closer look at their large, rounded teeth, which allow the sharks to crush their food. During Shark Summer, guests can watch this endangered species grow alongside the newly arrived Shark Ray named Shan.
Born in Taiwan, Shan is a young Shark Ray that Newport Aquarium’s Animal Care Team named after one of her original caretakers. Shan the Shark Ray has thrived after being born under human care with help from Newport Aquarium’s world-renowned research on these rare and critically endangered animals. Shan joins two other Shark Rays, a female named Sunshine and a male named Scooter.
Shark Summer may be experienced throughout the aquarium where visitors can interact with dozens of sharks. In Shark Central, for example, guests can reach in and touch them — each species in the exhibit has a different texture and pattern. Also, visitors can take a peek into the Shark Nursery to see the differences between several types of shark eggs. Plus, the ultimate Shark Summer adventure is crossing Newport Aquarium’s Shark Bridge, a rope bridge suspended just inches above a tank full of sharks, rays and more than 300 fish.
“There are several places you can see our new shark friends. We have the Shark Ray Bay Theater, which is a giant, ocean area window that leads into our 385,000-gallon shark talk. You’ll see a lot of really cool friends in there. You’ll see Brutus the Giant Grouper, and Denver the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, and we have our Sand Tiger Sharks in there as well,” Brady said. “So, it’s just a really cool look into the ocean, and what that would look like. It’s the closest you can get to it in Northern Kentucky without a snorkel.”
In Surrounded By Sharks, visitors are immersed in an underwater world as they explore 85-feet of seamless tunnels that wind through the heart of this large ocean ecosystem. Guests are surrounded by various species of sharks, stingrays and schooling fish as they swim around, above, and beneath you.
In honor of its 25th anniversary, the aquarium is offering two additional months for free when visitors get a Gold or Platinum Membership. This allows members to enjoy two summers of fun with just one pass and is available through Aug. 4. Shark Summer at Newport Aquarium runs through Sept. 8, and is included with the purchase of a general admission ticket or a membership. For more information about Shark Summer, or to purchase advance tickets and memberships, visit newportaquarium.com.
How to go
What: Shark Summer at Newport Aquarium
When: Shark Summer runs through Sept. 8
Where: Newport Aquarium, 1 Levee Way, Newport, KY
Admission: Buy tickets online in advance at NewportAquarium.com and save with Plan-Ahead-Pricing.
More information: Visit www.NewportAquarium.com. Also, follow Newport Aquarium on social media.
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