The Georgia Aquarium, the same aquarium that supports injured veterans through its Fish Wish program, is about to add six sand tiger sharks to its 6.3-million-gallon Ocean Voyager exhibit.
"This shark is the most sharky shark you can imagine," said Kevin Curlee, manager of acquisitions and quarantine for the aquarium. "They're toothy and snaggly."
The fearsome creatures can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh 300 pounds. They have pointy fins, mouths full of razor-sharp teeth and beady eyes.
Despite their frightening appearance, sand tiger sharks are docile fish that only attack in self-defense, Curlee said. That's good news for the dozens of visitors who sign up for the aquarium's diving program that plops them in the middle of the Ocean Voyager tank.
"If you want a shark that's going to stay in front of your window with big gnarly teeth and that's not a threat to your divers and will swim slowly so everyone can see them, you just described a sand tiger," Curlee said.
The sharks are scheduled to go on exhibit before Thanksgiving.
A few members of our Neutral Dive Gear staff actually dove with two large Sand Tigers (among various other shark species) at the Downtown Aquarium in Denver in spring of 2007.
Being that close to such a powerful creature was an experience like no other.
2 comments:
I dove with a few sand tigers off the coast of North Carolina a few years ago. Truly powerful and amazing creatures.
Six sand tigers in the Georgia Aquarium along with the 4 whales sharks and huge variety of other wildlife will make the Georgia Aquarium an even bigger attraction!
"Truly powerful and amazing creatures."
Indeed!
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