11 February 2008

Sydney Aquarium Launches New Reef Ride with the Sharks

Sydney Aquarium is inviting adventurous visitors to take to the water with its menacing sharks - courtesy of a new glass-bottomed boat ride.

The new '˜Shark Explorer' puts visitors on the surface of the Aquarium's stunning Great Barrier Reef exhibit, teeming with hundreds of colourful fish and 10 dangerous sharks.

During the 10-minute ride, visitors can feed the fish while they enjoy a crystal clear view of the marine life darting below them in the largest Great Barrier Reef exhibit in the world.

Sydney Attractions Group CEO Kevin Bush said the Shark Explorer ride gave visitors a brand new opportunity to get even closer to the creatures of the reef - including sharks more than three metres long.

'It's really an incredible experience to see sharks almost as long as the boat you're in, circling around you,' Mr Bush said. 'Being out on the water gives you a very different perspective of the Great Barrier Reef exhibit and the range of sea creatures that live within it.'

Shark species in the Reef exhibit include lemon sharks, black tip reef sharks and leopard sharks.

The exhibit is also home to scores of other species from spectacular shark rays and vibrant starfish, through to wildly-coloured trigger fish and the ever-popular clown fish (better known as 'Nemo').

One of the most popular features at the Aquarium, the Great Barrier Reef exhibit is more than 30 metres long and holds 1.65 million litres of water.

The award-winning Sydney Aquarium is the most popular paid tourist attraction in Australia, drawing more than 1.2 million visitors each year.

The Sydney Aquarium Shark Explorer boat ride seats 8 people and costs $10 for adults and $5 for children aged 15 yrs and under.

The Shark Explorer operates from 9am to 6pm every day.

For more information visit http://www.sydneyaquarium.com.au/

A Report by The Mole