ATLANTA — When guests visit the Georgia Aquarium starting Friday, Oct. 23, they’ll discover a new 1.2-million-gallon gallery filled with some of the ocean’s most feared inhabitants.
Ever come face to face with a shark? That’s not ideal for a beach vacation — in fact, it’s downright frightening — but that’s exactly what Georgia Aquarium officials imagined when they planned the latest addition to the downtown Atlanta attraction.
Sharks Predators of the Deep When guests visit the Georgia Aquarium starting Friday, Oct. 23, they’ll discover a new 1.2-million-gallon gallery filled with some of the ocean’s most feared inhabitants. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Ever come face to face with a shark? That’s not ideal for a beach vacation — in fact, it’s downright frightening — but that’s exactly what Georgia Aquarium officials imagined when they planned the latest addition to the downtown Atlanta attraction. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium “We’re going to take that fear and transform it into fascination by the end of the tour with information and beautiful sharks to see swimming around together,” Chris Coco, senior director of fish and invertebrates at the aquarium, told WSBTV.com’s Nelson Hicks. “There’s a whole storyline there to help folks become appreciative of what these animals can be and how important they are in our food web in the ocean.” (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium The Georgia Aquarium gave WSB-TV a sneak peak of the Sharks! Predators of the Deep exhibit. The newest addition to the Georgia Aquarium opens on Friday, Oct. 23. The centerpiece of the attraction is a 20-foot-deep gallery featuring 20 sharks including hammerhead, sand tiger, tiger, silky and silver tip sharks. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium “What we’d like our guests to leave the gallery with is an impression that sharks are an amazing animal and that we need to work hard to conserve them," Coco said. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium The exhibit will feature two new interactive experiences where guests can climb into the water with the sharks. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium The Shark & Ray Immersion program gives guests a chance to enter a side habitat of the exhibit that features zebra sharks and rays. The offering provides an engaging and educational experience in which participants can learn much more about the creatures. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium “You’ll be able to put on a wet suit, you’ll be able to do a little bit of a classroom portion that talks about the natural history and conservation of some of these fascinating animals and then after that, you’ll be able to get in the water with them, meet them and possibly even touch and feed them at the same time,” the Georgia Aqarium’s Melissa Paynter, who will conduct some of the interactive programs, said. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium In early 2021, the aquarium plans to unveil a shark cage dive experience in which guests will be fully submerged in a cage that moves throughout the habitat. Participants will not have to be dive-certified. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Ready to go swimming with sharks? Take a dip at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
“We’re going to take that fear and transform it into fascination by the end of the tour with information and beautiful sharks to see swimming around together,” Chris Coco, senior director of fish and invertebrates at the aquarium,told WSBTV.com’s Nelson Hicks. “There’s a whole storyline there to help folks become appreciative of what these animals can be and how important they are in our food web in the ocean.”
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
“What we’d like our guests to leave the gallery with is an impression that sharks are an amazing animal and that we need to work hard to conserve them," Coco said.
The exhibit will feature two new interactive experiences where guests can climb into the water with the sharks.
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
The Shark & Ray Immersion program gives guests a chance to enter a side habitat of the exhibit that features zebra sharks and rays. The offering provides an engaging and educational experience in which participants can learn much more about the creatures.
“You’ll be able to put on a wet suit, you’ll be able to do a little bit of a classroom portion that talks about the natural history and conservation of some of these fascinating animals and then after that, you’ll be able to get in the water with them, meet them and possibly even touch and feed them at the same time,” the Georgia Aqarium’s Melissa Paynter, who will conduct some of the interactive programs, said.
In early 2021, the aquarium plans to unveil a shark cage dive experience in which guests will be fully submerged in a cage that moves throughout the habitat. Participants will not have to be dive-certified.
Ready to go swimming with sharks? Take a dip at the Georgia Aquarium.
Sharks Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium Here are some more photos from Sharks! Predators of the Deep at the Georgia Aquarium. (Nelson Hicks)
