Shark Week at Nausicaa

Shark Week is taking place over half term and it may just be the excuse you are waiting for to head off to Nausicaa in Boulogne sur Mer a stones throw away from Calais

Running until Sunday 4 November 2018 Nausicaa the aquarium is offering the opportunity to raise awareness with its visitors in a fun and educational way through activities for all the family.

These include, meetings with shark handlers and talks given by shark experts in the “Mankind and Shores” Forum.

Sharks have always had a reputation for being bloodthirsty hunters and man-eaters! But the reality is completely different: of the 540 species that have been counted in the oceans, very few actually pose a danger to humans, of whom they are often fearful and wary!

From their position at the very top of marine food chain, they play a vital role in the balance of animal populations. However, sharks are in a very vulnerable situation. Every year, over 100 million of them are killed, mainly for their fins… So in the end, the more dangerous of the two species is not the one you would expect!

Nausicaa has displayed sharks ever since it opened its doors in 1991. In fact, it is home to over a hundred sharks belonging to about ten different species: the sandbar shark, the sand tiger shark, the nurse shark, the epaulette shark, the starry smooth-hound, the carpet shark, the leopard shark, the zebra shark and the horn shark.

All of these sharks live in the “Open Sea” zone, the Californian tank, the tropical lagoon, the touch tank (and yes, dogfish are members of the shark family), the “Island Stories” exhibition and the new big tank in Nausicaa ‘s “Journey on the High Seas” exhibition.

Sharks from European coasts are regularly born here (small and large dogfish), and Nausicaa participates in various breeding programmes.

The sandbar sharks on display are all born in European partner aquariums.

“Sharkoscope” is a creative workshop for all the family giving those who attend a chance to discover sharks in a different way by looking at shark eggs, for example, or examining under a microscope what some sharks eat. The workshop will end with the creation of a “paper shark” to share its knowledge of these masters of the seas!

There is also the chance to meet with a shark handler who will meet visitors to tell them about the different aspects of their job, including their dives with these creatures. They will also talk about the vulnerability of sharks, their role in the ecosystem and the importance of a conservation policy for these creatures.

Watch shark feeding and witness the handler-divers as they dive into the tanks.

Watch these dives with commentary from a handler who will tell you how these procedures, which are necessary to clean the glass walls of the tank and check the decorative features and the health of the creatures, are prepared for and carried out.

Visitors will also be able to watch the sharks being fed in the Open Sea tank, in the tropical lagoon or in the Californian tank.

Special programme and quiz about sharks offers the opportunity to learn more about sharks from reportages and live broadcasts by experts and try to win a shark’s tooth by taking part in the shark quiz!