Shark Week at the Oregon Coast

Published: Jul 24, 2008 at 9:43 AM PST Last Updated: Nov 20, 2008 at 10:39 PM PST
Shark Week at the Oregon Coast »Play Video
In this photo provided by Sea World, two divers work to capture a shark Wednesday, July 16, 2008, so a grappling hook can be removed from its mouth near Byron Bay, 500 miles (800 kilometers) north of Sydney. (AP Photo/Sea World, HO)

This is a press release courtesy of the Oregon Coast Aquarium

The Oregon Coast Aquarium, Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the Discovery Channel will celebrate the 21st annual Shark Week July 27 – August 2 with a variety of events highlighting the fascinating world of sharks. “Breakfast with the Sharks” will kick off Shark Week, allowing visitors to enter the Aquarium before it opens to the public and enjoy an elegant breakfast buffet while learning more about sharks.


GET DIRECTIONS TO THE AQUARIUM  

“Breakfast with the Sharks” takes place Sunday, July 27 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the Gleason Event Room in front of the private viewing window of the Sharks in the Passages of the Deep exhibit. As visitors dine, they will see how the sharks are fed their breakfast by husbandry staff while an Aquarium biologist gives a talk about their diet, behaviors and physiology. Reservations are required by calling (541) 867-3474 ext. 2313.

Shark Week spotlights sharks as important members of their ocean habitats, unlike the man-eating monsters portrayed in the movies.  Visitors will meet sharks of Oregon ’s wild coast in the week-long glimpse into the world of sharks.

 

 

Sharks and their ancestors have presided over the seas for nearly 400 million years, but in the wild today, shark populations are suffering from human activity. Sharks have been depicted as man-eaters and killers for centuries. The reality is that of the more than 350 species, only a handful pose any threat to humans. Through habitat destruction and overfishing, humans have become more dangerous to sharks than they are to us. Sharks live in oceans around the globe—from warm shallows to the cold, deep sea and even fresh water lakes. All of the sharks exhibited at the Oregon Coast Aquarium are species native to Oregon ’s coastal waters.

Shark Week Activities:

 

 

 

  •  Shark Week kicks off with “Breakfast with the Sharks” Sunday, July 27, 8:00-9:30am
  • Free giveaways, books about sharks, trading cards, shark “tattoos” and buttons
  • Shark books, DVD’s and educational toys available in the Aquarium Gift Shop
  • Children’s shark craft
     
  • Fascinating shark bio facts  
     
  • Shark dissections and talks 
     
  • The opportunity to adopt a shark  

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational attraction dedicated to the highest quality aquatic and marine science programs for recreation and education so the public better understands, cherishes, and conserves the world’s natural marine and coastal resources.