Adventure Aquarium’s Shark Tooth Summer takes a bite out of season

Kicking off this August, the Camden Adventure Aquarium is finishing off summer with a new month-long activation. Shark Tooth Summer starts Aug. 4 and lasts until Sept. 5, and throughout the four-week period, the venue will be stocked with activities to put the spotlight on the pearly whites of our ocean’s apex predator. 

Sharks lose about 35,000 teeth in their lifetime, and the CAA just happens to have the largest collection of shark teeth in the Northeast. The Aquarium also offers a vast variety of the fish spanning a great hammerhead, sandbar sharks, sand tiger sharks, Pacific black tip sharks, nurse sharks, silky sharks, white-spotted bamboo sharks, brown-banded bamboo sharks and epaulette sharks.

New, and also free this summer, the Scuba Tooth Fairy will hit the venue’s Ocean Realm at 11:45 a.m., 12:45 and 2:45 p.m daily. During these appearances, the Scuba Tooth Fairy will sift through the sand in search of shark teeth of all shapes and sizes. Families can also get their hands on Shark Activity Kits (with a $3 donation) complete with an activity sheet, Adventure Aquarium pencil, and a shark-shaped pencil gripper online or on their website.

There’s also the uniquely thrilling Shark & Ray Encounter at the Aquarium where guests can pay to get up close and personal with the animals. The experience in total spans time with sharks, and time to feed stingrays in an adjacent pool (you will be in the water with a full wetsuit and all), and there’s not another activity quite like it. Shark & Ray Encounters are available to purchase online only, and are limited to Fridays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays/Sundays at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. Philadelphians should note that children must be at least 12 years old to participate.

But there’s another way to get close, but not so personal with the many sharks in the CAA’s Ocean Realm. According to a release, guests can get a behind-the-scenes, aerial view of the Adventure Aquarium’s Shark Realm exhibit, which is home to dozens of aquatic creatures—including sandbar and sand tiger sharks—through their tours. The tours are available for purchase online for $15, with a portion of proceeds going to support Adventure Aquarium ACTS. For an additional $5, guests can also add a commemorative photo to their experience (but visitors should note that children must be at least two years old to participate in this specific experience.)

The Shark Cart located in the Den will also offer a variety of shark-themed mementos, including plushies, t-shirts, and other eco-friendly souvenirs. The Aquarium’s other activation—A Little SomeFin Extra— will additionally offer other educational and entertaining shark experiences throughout Shark Tooth Summer. Visitors can chat with a shark expert to learn more about the ocean’s most misunderstood creatures, test your shark knowledge during a shark-centric edition of the ‘Walk the Plank’ game show, or catch shark-themed lights at the top of each hour in the Aquarium’s Rotunda.

As always, the Camden Adventure Aquarium will also feature the Shark Bridge, Shark Tunnel and the Touch-A-Shark experience as well. With the bridge, this activity offers guests the chance to walk across the world’s longest shark bridge—suspended just inches above the water—with an elevated, aerial view of several large shark species. For a more immersive view of their sharks, guests can walk through Adventure Aquarium’s Shark Tunnel, which is the longest in New Jersey. And finally, visitors also have the chance to touch and feel some of the most exotic shark species in the world by visiting the Aquarium’s Touch-A-Shark exhibit in Zone A to round out their trip.

Guests looking to enjoy Adventure Aquarium’s Shark Tooth Summer can book their reservations now or find information at AdventureAquarium.com.