The Discovery Channel's seven-day "Shark Week" marathon is back for another year, and Chicago's Shedd Aquarium is celebrating in a big way.
While you'll have the chance to learn plenty about sharks if you tune into the seven consecutive days of themed programming, it'll be quite different from the experiences offered at the aquarium. From a virtual reality dive to a multisensory film experience featuring some of the world's most mysterious sharks, there will be no shortage of shark-focused activities.
If that's enough - a rather unique brunch, where you can come face-to-face with sharks and sting rays, is offered on weekends.
If you're thinking about planning a visit, here's more about each experience, as written on the aquarium's website.
Shark feeding tour and brunch
Guests join the sharks and rays for brunch in this 75-minute front and behind-the-scenes feeding tour. Starting with an in-depth look at Wild Reef, which will transport them 8,000 miles to an exuberant Indo-Pacific reef, guests will enter the animal-care area to witness mealtime with the ocean's most dynamic and misunderstood predators. Participants will also learn how the animal care team prepares diets of restaurant-grade seafood for each species. There may even be opportunities to feed some of the other fish.
- Dates: Saturdays and Sundays beginning at 10 a.m.
- Cost: Adults $94.95, Child (6-11) $84.95, Members $75.95.
- Age: Participants must be 6 years and older, and guests between the ages of 6 and 17 must be accompanied by a paying adult participant.
4-D Experience: BBC Earth's Shark
In this multisensory film experience, guests come face to face with some of the world’s most strange and mysterious shark species. This approximately 15-minute film shares information in an exciting narrative format about these extraordinarily intelligent underwater giants, which each exhibit unique behaviors to navigate their ever-changing environment.
- Dates: 4-D experiences take place every day when the aquarium is open throughout the day.
- Cost: $4.95 per guest, $2.95 per member.
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Virtual reality shark dive
Guests can feel even closer to sharks in a 360-degree, 3-D live-action journey into virtual reality with marine biologists of the Bimini Shark Lab in search of the mythic underwater strip called Tiger Beach. Participants learn about the behaviors of tiger and hammerhead sharks after hopping in a pod, strapping on their goggles and swimming alongside these fascinating animals.
- Dates: Virtual Reality experiences take place every day the aquarium is open throughout the day.
- Cost: $15 per guest, $11 for members.
