Sharks are a wonderful creation of mother earth. Everything related to their body is the result of extensive evolution that took place over thousands of years. For example, the skin of a shark is scaled to decrease drag and to swim effortlessly. The upper part of the body is dark coloured to blend with the deep ocean for someone looking from above. Similarly, the lower back is light coloured to blend with the surface colour of ocean. This makes them perfect camouflaged predators.
Although their body mechanics makes them a perfect killing machine, these animals are not known to intentionally attack humans. The video below shows some professional scuba divers feeding and interacting with Tiger sharks. These animals are harmless unless humans threaten them in some manner.
Facts about Sharks:
- Sharks are found to have many species that may significantly vary in both shape and size. There are over 350 species of sharks ranging from the size as small as your hand to something as large as a school bus.
- Sharks are apex hunters that, much like humans, only eat meals that taste good. A satisfying meal can keep a shark happy for about 3 months.
- Normally, sharks conserve their energy by swimming very slowly. But in times of need, they can reach a maximum speed of 40 mph.
- Sharks disguises its prey with its sharp teeth’s only to tear it up into little consumable pieces. They do not chew their meal, instead they swallow it.
- A motionless shark will sink to the bottom of the ocean. This is so because they are heavier than water. In order to remain afloat, they must keep swimming.
Sharks in Georgia Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium is a large facility for marine animals located in Atlanta, Georgia. There are around 1 20 000 animals living in the aquarium that belong to over 500 different species. The total capacity of this massive facility is about 8.5 million US Gallons in which, both fresh water and marine animals are kept for display. Also, the Georgia Aquarium is an accredited member of Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) which makes it among some of the renowned facilities in the country. Major exhibits located inside the aquarium are
Whale Sharks, dolphins, Manta rays and some beluga whales. The whole aquarium consists of several galleries, each with its own customized environment to comfort its occupants. The Ocean Voyager gallery has the 2nd largest viewing window in the world. It weighs over 120 tonnes and stretches to height of 27 feet. This exhibit is home for some Whale sharks. There are many conservation programs undertaken by the aquarium in order to draw attention of visitors to the serious issue of hunting and killing of such beautiful creatures. Webcams located in the exhibit streams live video on to the aquariums website.
View Sharks in Georgia Aquarium web cam.
Sharks in Monterey Bay Aquarium
Founded in 1984, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a big marine and fresh water facility located in Monterey Bay, California. The aquarium is home for some 35 000 animals that belong to over 625 species of animals and plants as well. Furthermore, being an accredited member of Association of Zoos and Aquariums, this massive facility gets an annual visitor count of over 1.8 million. People are drawn to this aquarium for its vast collection of animals as well as underwater vegetation. Its advantageous position near the Monterey bay facilitates it to have a vast source of fresh ocean water available for several of its exhibits. Major exhibits of the aquarium include Jellyfish, Sea Otters, Great white Sharks, Kelp and stingrays.
Of them all, the Open Sea Gallery is the largest tank in the aquarium with a holding capacity of 1 200 000 US gallons of water. This gallery is shared by many sea animals and fishes such as Bluefin tuna, hammerhead sharks, green sea turtles and some pelagic rays. This stunning tank is where all these animals share the space and live in harmony. The exhibit is also considered to be the only one of its kind to show such a diverse community of open ocean animals living together. Webcams located in the exhibit are used to monitor and study the behaviour of all these animals. Researchers use this data’s to understand better about these animals and also to create a better environment for them to survive. Various conservation and fund raising programs are held in the aquarium so that visitors can also play their part in safe guarding these magnificent animals of the ocean.
View Sharks in Monterey Bay Aquarium web cam.
Sharks in Sea Life London Aquarium
Located in the ground floor of County hall and very close to the London eye, Sea Life London Aquarium is rather a new facility which was established in 1997. A large number of marine and fresh water animals belonging to over 500 species are put on exhibits for all to watch. This famous aquarium gets an annual visitors count of around 1 million. Additionally, this facility is an accredited member of British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA).
The total volume of all the exhibits combined is around 530 000 US gallons. Sand Tiger Sharks are among the major exhibits available in the aquarium. These are ferocious animals which grow to a maximum length of 4 meters and prefer to hunt at night. An unusual behaviour of these sharks is that they surface to the water level in order to gulp some air. This helps them to stay afloat while remaining immobile so that the prey swims into its range.
View Sharks in Sea Life London Aquarium web cam.