Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay
I know what you’re thinking: An aquarium in the desert? Sure, why not? You think the fish at the aquariums by the ocean just walked into their tanks off the beach? Of course not. So the idea of a world-class aquarium in the middle of the Mohave really shouldn’t seem so hard to swallow. Hey, this is Vegas, we make magic happen every darn day.
But more to the point, Shark Reef, like you might guess from the name, is not just any old aquarium. The crowning gem of Mandalay Bay almost feels like a “greatest hits” of every other aquarium. Seriously. Here’s the numbers: 2000+ creatures. 1.,600000 gallons of water. Sawfish, lionfish, giant rays, green sea turtles (endangered), piranha, jellyfish. A rare golden crocodile. A komodo dragon. And, yeah, sharks. 100 of them. Thirty different kinds. Sandtiger sharks, Sandbar sharks, Black Tip Reef sharks, White Tip Reef sharks… it’s a long list. Shark Reef is even helping to repopulate the rare Devil’s Hole Pupfish, found only in a cave inside nearby Death Valley.
The aquarium is uniquely designed so that you start at ground level, looking at ground level animals, and as you slowly descend under sea level, you visit with animals native to those elevations. It’s pretty cool. When you get all the way down, there’s a room with a big touch pool. And then, designed to look like you’re inside a sunken pirate ship, is the shark observation room.
And check this out: if you are SCUBA-certified diver, you can actually dive with the sharks! Don’t worry, they’re so well-fed, they’re not hungry. We’ve actually done it—and your friends (up to 3) get to watch! You’ll settle on the bottom of the aquarium as sharks glide past you. You can’t touch them but they have no problem coming by and brushing up against you. Don’t fear, they practically ignore you and that part of the experience is why you would do it. In the wild they would be darting back and forth and you would never get a good look. Not in an aquarium, you can see all the details. Even their teeth. If that sounds a little too involved, but you do have a big group (particularly with kids), call to ask about other group education experiences.
The interactive experience at Shark Reef is not just for the SCUBA diver. Docent led tours and interactive talks go on throughout the day. The touch tank will help you learn more about the rays and the jellyfish experiment will mesmerize you.
Want more fish? There are also several free aquarium displays and fish ponds up down the Las Vegas Strip, including: 1) Mandalay Bay hotel registration; 2) Flamingo Tropical Habitat; 3) Caesars Palace Seahorse Lounge 4) Forum Shops behind the Fall of Atlantis presentation 5) Mirage hotel registration; 6) Wynn Tower Suites entrance koi ponds.
Dive in!
