Content provided by Derek Balsillie of Aquarium of the Pacific
The Aquarium of the Pacific is a nonprofit educational institution with the goal of creating awareness and inspiring respect for the ocean and its inhabitants. Sharks are one of the most misunderstood marine animals and are facing devastating threats. By allowing people to come close to these animals, it creates a personal experience that can and has changed people’s perspective on the need to protect sharks.
The Aquarium only exhibits sharks that do well in protected environments and all of them are housed in exhibits that meet their particular needs. The animals in our large Shark Lagoon pool are sharks that prefer swimming in open water so the circular and open shape of the exhibit allows the animals to swim freely. The animals are selected on how well they will interact with the others and each are trained to feed at a particular place so there is minimal chance for conflicts.
The Aquarium’s sharks have no threats from other animals or people, receive restaurant-quality food, state-of-the art healthcare, and are free to swim constantly or rest and do not show signs of stress. Sharks in the wild face numerous threats from overfishing, pollution, indiscriminate killing, and the constant need to find food. We believe we are providing an outstanding home for these fish and that they have forever changed the future for their brethren in the wild by inspiring millions of people to care about sharks.
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