CHICAGO, Illinois (16 Apr 2003) -- Eight years in the making, 750,000 gallons in the filling and with 27 sharks on display in a 400,000-gallon habitat that curves around and over visitors, the permanent Wild Reef exhibit is intended to mimic a diver's view of a coral reef in the Philippines. "Awesome,'' said Terry Gilfoy, of Marquette, Mich. "We're in their environment.' Gilfoy, with his twins, Forrest and Gabriella, 10, and wife Diane, was one of the first public visitors. "It feels like you're in there and there's no glass,'' Forrest said. "This won't be the last time we come here,'' Gilfoy said. The exhibit explores the ecology of Apo Island, a volcanic rock in the south end of the Philippines that's home to 720 people and in an ocean triangle that's also home to more species of ocean animals than any other place on Earth. With the sharks, sleek and graceful, and more than 500 other species, the new collection more than doubles the current collections, said Shedd President and CEO Ted Beattie at the dedication. It is the second expansion in the Shedd's 73-year history, doubles its aquarium capacity and adds 28,000 square feet--underground, 25 feet below street level. Stingrays cruise underfoot in some of the 17.5 tons of sand shipped in "to make the animals feel right at home,'' as Beattie put it. But it's the sharks--whitetip, blacktip, zebra, wobbegong and sand bar--that are clearly the stars. It's like they're "sneaking up on people,'' said 11-year-old Ariel Rodriguez, who got a sneak preview with a group from Eckhart Park on the West Side. There are plenty of things to learn about sharks: Those swimming around in the exhibit will have 6,000 teeth on any given day, according to the Shedd, and a shark's jaws can produce 47,674 pounds of pressure. There's even a lighted case with shark eggs--leathery pouches 6 or 8 inches long that look like giant seed pods. When they are ready to hatch, they will be taken off exhibit, but in the meantime, sometimes the beating heart of a shark embryo can be seen. | | The pass for the main aquarium plus the timed-ticket Wild Reef is $17 for adults and $13 for children and seniors, but $12 and $9 for Chicago residents. An all-access pass that includes the Oceanarium is $21 for non-resident adults and $15 for children 3-11 and seniors.  |
Bad Rap vs Reality | Myth: Sharks have the killing edge. Truth: Sharks kill an average of eight people worldwide a year, while millions of sharks are killed. Myth: Humans are shark bait. Truth: Sharks really prefer fish, seabirds, seals, dolphins, sea lions and dead whales. After one bite of a human, a shark usually lets go. Myth: Sharks target surfers. Truth: Attacks on surfers often occur near breeding colonies of seals or sea lions. With arms and legs dangling over their boards, surfers look like seals to the sharks. And only a few (great whites, bulls and sand sharks) attack people--through mistaken identity. They seem to be attracted to the blood of some animals, but nobody knows about human blood in particular. Myth: Shark threat looms. Truth: You stand a greater chance of choking on a toothpick than getting attacked by a shark. Myth: The great white shark--the kind portrayed in "Jaws"--has vicious, terrifying teeth. Truth: "Jaws'' teeth are like those of a mako shark, which stick out like rows of daggers even when the mako's mouth is closed. Myth: After 400 million years of developing into killers with an uncanny awareness, armed with navigation systems and natural timing, sharks' only value is as fearsome monsters. Truth: Sharks keep reefs healthy, preying on weak and diseased animals. Myth: Shark feeders aim to conserve sharks. Truth: Shark feeders aim to make money with "interactive" scuba diving activities that harm marine wildlife and threaten public safety. SOURCE: Shedd Aquarium, CDS |
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