SHARKS
We give you the chance to learn about and interact with real live sharks! Plus, watch one of our divers hand feed these apex predators!
Sharks are some of our favorites to work with! They are some of the most versatile animals on the planet! Sharks have been on earth for over 400 million years and there are over 1,000 species of sharks and rays alive today. Sharks have adapted to navigate and survive everywhere from coastal waters to the deepest depths! There is so much to learn about these beautiful, awe-inspiring predators.
Our Sharks
Nurse Shark
Ginglymostoma cirratum
Lifespan: 25 years
Max size: 10-15 feet
200-330 pounds
Diet: Crustaceans, shrimp, urchins, octopuses, squid, snails, stingrays, fish
Conservation status: Data Deficient
Fun Fact: We can breathe while lying still! While some other sharks have to swim to breathe, we use muscles to suck water into our mouths and over our gills. This is called buccal pumping.
Lemon Shark
Negaprion brevirostris
Lifespan: 30 years (studies still in progress)
Max size: 9-11 feet
200-550 pounds
Diet: Bony fish, rays, crabs, seabirds
Conservation Status: Near Threatened
Fun Fact: My retinas in my eyes have a special horizontal band (visual streak) that allows me to see fine details and color!
White Spotted Bamboo Shark
(Bamboo Cat Shark)
Chiloscyllium plagiosum
Lifespan: Unknown
Max Size: 23.6-37.4 inches
Diet: Small fish, inverbetbrates
Conservation Status: Near Threatened
Fun Fact: Unlike the other species of shark at the aquarium, we are not indigenous to Florida waters. We are an Indo-pacific shark that are found here in Florida through the pet trade. We were all donated former pets that now cal the aquarium home!