By WECT Staff | February 22, 2021 at 1:37 PM EST – Updated February 22 at 1:37 PM
KURE BEACH, N.C. (WECT) – The North Carolina Aquarium at Ft. Fisher is seeking some “detectives” as it and the Vermilion Sea Institute host a virtual exploration of sand tiger and whale sharks and the identification methods scientists use to protect the animals in the wild.
The program, “Saving Sharks,” will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 6.
“Of the more than 1,000 shark and ray species known globally, approximately a quarter are threatened with extinction, while information about many other species is insufficient. Yet these animals are critical to the health of the ocean,” a news release stated.
“That is why organizations like the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher and the Vermilion Sea Institute are studying these animals in human care and in the wild. The more we know about them, the better we can protect them for future generations.”
Program participants will learn about sand tiger sharks off the North Carolina coast with aquarium educators, and the recent discoveries made about the creatures, such as site fidelity (when sharks return to the same shipwrecks many times). Then travel to the Baja California peninsula in Mexico to learn about whale sharks from scientists at the Vermilion Sea Institute.
This virtual program is recommended for ages 7 and older. Registration is $30 per screen. N.C. Aquarium Society members receive a 10 percent discount.
Registration closes 24 hours before the program starts.
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