ST. LOUIS — The Discovery Channel's Shark Week has become a cultural phenomenon widely celebrated each year with shark-related documentaries, experiences and brand collaborations. This year, the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station joining in on the fun.
The aquarium is diving deep into shark-related activities July 23-30, offering visitors several opportunities to get up close and personal with sharks and learn more about them.
"We are excited to help people learn about these apex predators and develop a respect for them," said Tamil Brown, executive director of the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station, in a statement. "Once you know more about sharks, you'll understand they aren’t the crazy attack animals they’re portrayed to be."
Each day of Shark Week, visitors can learn more about the shark of the day and touch replicas of its teeth and jaws, according to a news release from the aquarium.
Shark Canyon, the aquarium's 250,000-gallon habitat, is home to a wide variety of shark species, including:
- Sandbar/brown sharks
- Blacknose sharks
- Zebra sharks
- Whitetip reef sharks
- Black tip sharks
- Nurse sharks
- Bonnethead sharks
- Bamboo sharks
- Cat sharks
At 1:15 p.m. each day during Shark Week except for Tuesday, visitors can watch a dive show at Shark Canyon. Divers wear a special scuba mask that allows them to talk with guests and answer questions while underwater, the release said.
Visitors can also visit Touch Pool on the second floor of the aquarium for a chance to pet a bamboo shark or Coral catshark.
In the Kids Zone, young visitors can craft their own paper shark hats, color a fish and launch it into virtual water, read books about fish and play games.
Those who are brave enough can walk the shaky, 15-foot-long rope bridge over Shark Canyon as part of the behind-the-scenes tour add-on experience. Reservations can be made for $16 per person at the aquarium ticket counter.
The aquarium is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The last admission is one hour before closing time.
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