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diversions
The
new Shark Lagoon opens at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific
By Miguel Lopez
Summer On-line Forty-Niner
Normally the Long
Beach shores are not a haven for sharks, but on June 14 more
than 150 sharks made a new permanent home in Long Beach.
The Aquarium of the Pacific, located in Downtown Long Beach,
has been expanding since its opening in June 1998. The Shark
Lagoon became the most recent addition to the aquarium, which
last added the Lorikeet Forest in the fall of 2001.
The Shark Lagoon includes many sharks of which some can and
cannot be touched by visitors. The Aquarium of the Pacific
purchased some sharks and other aquariums donated others.
Among the many sharks at the new exhibit is the sand tiger
shark, which is endangered in Australia.
“Sharks, including some that we have here, are killed faster
than they can reproduce. Sharks have been given a bad reputation
because of the highly publicized attacks on people, but they
normally attack humans accidentally,” said Sandy Trautwein,
aquarium curator of fish and invertebrates. “From the sharks
point of view, the silhouette of a surfer sitting on a surfboard
looks very similar to a seal swimming by.
Along with the shark exhibit, the aquarium added attractions
to educate people on the lives and capabilities of sharks.
A display called “The Sixth Sense” shows how sharks are able
to detect electricity levels given of by other animals. Visitors
also were able to learn from other demonstrations such as
“Shark in Peril,” which explains the consequences of over
fishing, finning and other factors in the decline in shark
population and the important role sharks play in order to
maintain a healthy ecosystem in the ocean.
“I thought of great white shark when I heard of the Shark
Lagoon here,” said visitor Steve Diaz. “I brought my son to
see that there isn’t just one type of shark and that sharks
aren’t ferocious.”
Shark feedings were the most popular attractions. Visitors
were able to view the feedings of sand tigers, whit-tip reefs
and other sharks over the water and through large portholes.
Guests were able to touch the nurse, epaulette, brown-banded
bamboo, white-spotted bamboo and zebra sharks. The sand tiger,
sandbar, giant shovelnose ray, whitetip reef and sawfish sharks
were kept away from visitors.
“We want to educate the people on sharks,” said Trautwein.
“We want the exhibit to teach people facts about sharks and
get them away from the myth of man-eaters. This exhibit is
made to give hands on experience.”
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Heather
Clarke/Summer On-line Forty-Niner
The new Shark Lagoon attracts visitors
to the Acquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. The lagoon
allows visitors to get up close and personal with many species
of the sea creatures.
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