Cleveland Aquarium Celebrates Sharks Every Week

Press release from the Greater Cleveland Aquarium: Believing there’s much more to revere than fear when it comes to sharks, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium (FirstEnergy Powerhouse, West Bank of the Flats, 2000 Sycamore Street, Cleveland, OH 44113 I 216.862.8803 I greaterclevelandaquarium.com) is putting a week-long spotlight on these sharks Sunday, August 9 – Sunday, August 16 as part of its annual Fin Fest celebration.

“We’re obsessed with these ‘jaw-some’ apex predators 24/7/365 at the Aquarium, but during Fin Fest we’ll be working to build a broader appreciation for the diversity, importance and plight of sharks by sharing shark-themed videos, trivia and more,” says Aquarium Curator Ray Popik. Popik will even be offering up his expertise during a free “Ask Us Any-Fin” public Livestream event on Wednesday, August 12 @ 6:30pm. Registration for the event can be found here.

Released 45 years ago, Jaws returned to the big screen at drive-in theaters in June. National Geographic and Discovery are both devoting a significant chunk of their programming to sharks this summer. With more than 6.1 billion views on YouTube, “Baby Shark” seems unstoppable.

“Clearly our fascination with sharks has not diminished, but shark mania can perpetuate lot of shark myths,” asserts Popik. He hopes that education can turn pop culture shark fans into advocates for shark conservation. “They have this bloodthirsty reputation, but these are amazing animals that help keep their aquatic ecosystems in balance by removing weak and sick animals and the decline in their populations is alarming.” For all the attention that shark/human interactions receive, according to the International Shark Attack File, there are an average of 4 human fatalities per year while humans—through fishing, finning, habitat destruction and bycatch—are responsible for the deaths of upwards of 100 million sharks annually.

In addition to the livestream Shark Gallery Q&A, Greater Cleveland Aquarium e-news and YouTube subscribers will be treated to the debut of 2 new shark-focused educational videos. Aquarium guests (open 10am – 4pm daily with pre-purchased, timed tickets) can see and learn more about 4 different shark residents—brown banded, nurse, sandbar and sandtiger sharks. On weekdays, children will be given a take-home temporary tattoo and a make-and-take shark craft. “There’s nothing like standing in the Aquarium’s seatube and looking up into the toothy grin of a sandtiger shark slowly gliding overhead to put you in your place,” says Popik.

During Fin Fest, everyone is invited to test their shark knowledge with a short Fin Fest quiz (coming soon on greaterclevelandaquarium.com) for a chance to win a 12” plush shark and an annual family pass (value $155). One winner will be randomly chosen and announced by 5pm on Sunday, August 16.

This press release was produced by the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. The views expressed here are the author's own.