SAN DIEGO — After a pandemic pause, an 8-foot-tall shark head has returned to Birch Aquarium.
It’s the perfect spot for kids to use their imagination and for families to take fun holiday photos.
The remarkable structure was a gift to the aquarium in 2002 and instantly became a hit with guests.
While it looks like it could be authentic from afar…it is far from reality. “This is an absurd shark!” said Megan Dickerson, Director of Exhibits at Birch Aquarium.
“This shark does not exist anywhere on the planet. It's three times bigger than a great white shark. So it's a way of playing with our fears and realizing - ok - what am I terrified of here,” Dickerson continued.
If a shark had a head that big, it would be 60 feet long. This shark was initially made for a local family. Then, after a divorce, it needed a new home and was donated to the aquarium.
Now it serves as a fun way to teach people about sharks - and hopefully, make them a little less scary.
“Sharks don't want to eat people,” Dickerson said. “If the ocean was a Thanksgiving buffet, they like to taste a few things, but they're going to spit us out pretty quick; they're not interested in stringy people. They want to eat those fat-rich seals.”
The shark is located inside the aquarium, so admission is required to reach it, but once inside, you can take all the fun, family holiday photos you want.
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