Aquarium

I wrote a story about one of my favorite places, the Georgia Aquarium. They just opened the gallery for "Sharks! Predators of The Deep." The new exhibit educates people about sharks. I hope this story does the same.

Mystery at the Aquarium

Shark Bait

Rosie Davenport was the assistant trainer of the sea otters at the aquarium. Her playful raft of otters were energetic and always busy. She loved watching them interact with each other. The people who came to the aquarium enjoyed their antics. It was the end of her shift she was tired and ready to head home. She hadn't seen the new shark exhibit so, she decided to head that way to check it out before she left.

She passed under the large banner that read "Sharks of the Deep." It was a new exhibit to help people understand the benefits of sharks. It was designed to assist patrons in gaining knowledge about these much-maligned creatures. The presentation included Hammerhead Sharks and different types of Tiger Sharks. She walked through the large tanks that housed the gliding creatures. She was amazed at how large the Tiger Sharks were. The shape of the HammerHead shark always amazed her as she stopped to watch them glide through the deep blue water. She got chills as a ten-foot Tiger Shark cruised by the glass to get a better look at her. She had read the average size of a Tiger Shark was about 12 feet. Rosie wished she knew more about sharks. She had always been both fascinated and frightened by them.

As she walked through the expansive exhibit watching the amazing sharks glide above her. She suddenly saw something at the bottom of the tank. She knew it shouldn't be there. These tanks were carefully monitored for the safety of the animals. She looked more closely. What was a single blue sneaker doing at the bottom of the shark tank? It got her asking questions. Why is this here? Where is the person who was wearing it now? She watched a HammerHead shark stare at her. She got a creepy feeling and started checking the pool for signs of foul play.

Had someone fallen into the tank, and all that was left was his right sneaker. A twelve-foot Tiger Shark swam by his cold eyes glared. It looks like I will be staying a bit longer, she thought to herself. She could not leave in good conscience until she knew what happened to the man with the sneaker. She knew the sharks were not responsible, but someone might use them to get rid of a body. She wanted to make sure that was not the case. She saw no signs in the water that anyone had been dumped into the water.

She tried to remember what she knew about Hammer Heads and Tiger Sharks.

She knew the gallery contained a few types of sharks. The new exhibit had Tiger Sharks, Hammer Head Sharks, and Silver Tipped Sharks. Rosie knew that the Tiger Shark was one of the largest predators in the water. She understood that, in general, sharks rarely bit humans but that Tiger Sharks were one of the most dangerous predators in the ocean. They had been responsible for a large number of fatal shark bite incidents. Tiger Sharks have been known to attack people unprovoked, and as a result, they are considered one of the top three most dangerous sharks after the Great White Shark and Bull Sharks.

She watched the lethal animals as they glided by. If what she was thinking had happened, wouldn't there be more detritus in the water? She realized she would see more than just a single sneaker. Her prejudice against sharks was playing out against these fascinating creatures.

She heard voices behind her and turned to see five people coming her way. She recognized Daniel, one of the shark trainers in the group.

"Hi, Rosie! What are you doing here so late?" He greeted her.

He introduced her to the others. They were friends that wanted to do the new interactive shark cage dive at the aquarium.

"You got to experience the ocean as a shark would. I am a big fan of Hammer Head Sharks. I have been studying them for years." A dark-haired woman said.

Rosie realized the tall blonde man behind the group was limping slightly on only one shoe. He had a blue sneaker on the other foot.

Rosie pointed to the tank. "I was wondering about this?"

He stared in at the tank at his lonely missing sneaker. "Hey, you found my shoe! I guess that doesn't look good. Like the sharks ate someone," he gave a grimace. "I went down to scuba in the shark tank, and I must have dropped it when I took my clothes to the locker."

The man with one shoe told her that he had visited Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. He was able to study Tiger Sharks up close.

"You don't really dive. You have to stand still on the bottom of the ocean to watch the sharks as they swim overhead. They have different types of sharks in that area, but the most impressive is the Tiger Sharks."

He explained how the sharks at Tiger Beach stick to a regular feeding schedule, so there is less danger to tourists. The guides have to be very strict with the rules.

Even though we were in a cage here, it reminded me of Tiger Beach and all the fantastic different types of sharks.

"I have always loved sharks, even as a kid. Tiger Sharks are my favorite." He grinned.

Rosie couldn't help grinning back. Her mystery was solved. She was glad he would be heading home in one piece. The shark gallery and cage dive were a huge success. These enthusiastic people had her persuaded that she needed to try the cage dive for herself.