Shark week launched on July 1988 and was originally devoted to conservation efforts and the attempt to correct many misconceptions about sharks. Over the years, shark week has grown to become a favorite in many households. Shark week returns on July 11th for its 30th anniversary! Are you ready? I know we sure are.
Above photo taken at the Museum of Discovery and Science.
Living in South Florida and spending most of our summers enjoying our beaches, we made sure that we would introduce Ashley to learning more about the ocean in general and these majestic ocean creatures.
There are many different kinds of sharks and many resources out there to discuss them. Do you or your little know which is the biggest shark in the ocean? They often call this shark a gentle giant... You guessed it! It's the whale shark.
I have listed a few resources to get your littles as excited as we are about Shark Week. We have many fun activities and crafts that we will begin sharing soon to kickoff this years installment of shark week.
Below you will find a few exhibits that offer a live view of their shark cam:
Monterey Bay Aquarium offers a live view of their shark cam from 7:00 am - 7:00 pm. Your little can spot sevengill sharks, leopard sharks, spiny dogfish, pacific angel sharks, rays and other fishes as they cruise their rocky 90 foot long exhibit.
Georgia Aquarium presented by the Home Depot, offers a live view of their shark cam. Your little can spot whale sharks, manta rays, many fascinating fish and over fifty species of marine creatures as they explore their home which consists of over 6.3 m gallons of water.
Aquarium of the Pacific offers a live view of their shark lagoon all day and night. Your little can spot zebra, blacktip and whitetip sharks, as well as mangrove and whiptail rays. Best of all, at 2:00 pm PT, you can watch the sharks being fed.
Oregon Coast Aquarium offers a live view of their shark cam from 8:00 am - 8:00 pm. Your little can spot hundreds of sharks including broadnose sevengills, as well as rockfish, halibut, skates and sturgeon fish.
Education.com offers so much free great shark related content:
This a favorite resource in our household. We were introduced to education.com by a close family member and have been hooked ever since. There are plenty of shark related free worksheets. They can be sorted by grade/age range. This is a resource you should check out frequently (it is a life saver).
Click on your childs age range below
National Geographic Kids also offers so much great shark related content:
This resource offers so many fun ways for your children to explore sharks.
They have a fun shark personality quiz, where your child answers a few questions and finds out what shark they would be. Ashley was really excited about this one. She has the personality of a whale shark.
They even have a quiz whiz on sharks.
Slideshows and articles on goblin, hammerheads, bull, sand tiger and great white sharks can also be found here.
We hope your family enjoys these resources as much as we do! Please let us know in the comments... what are your plans for your family this upcoming shark week?