Deep Thoughts

Ken Kurtis, a diver in the Shark Lagoon at the Aquarium of the Pacific, answers a few of our viewers’ questions:

The overall depth of the exhibit is about 8 feet.

The divers you see inside are usually cleaning the repli-coral (which gets an algae growth on it because of the sunlight exposure) or moving the coral pieces around.

You may also notice when divers are in that we always have at least one diver who holds a PVC tube. That diver’s job is to keep an eye on the sharks while the other divers work (usually with their backs to the sharks). If the sharks approach too closely, as they get near, they will sense the outstretched tube and will alter their course away from the working divers.

Fuzzy camera issues are when the algae grows on the housing. A simple wipe solves it but we have to put someone in to do it and we don’t dive the exhibit every day. I’ve asked the divers to be more aware of this.

The things you see under the male sharks are claspers and they are exactly for what you think they’re for.

I, too, am convinced that the Sand Tiger is posing for the camera on his swim-bys. Hey, it’s LA. Maybe he’s angling for an agent.

Catch a diver or see the Sand Tiger posing live on the Shark Lagoon Live Cam!