Shark feeding time at Adventure Aquarium

[Music] So, I think our ultimate goal here is to change the perception that people have of sharks, that they should be reared, not feared. There are a lot of people that are very excited about them. There are people that don't even want to walk over the shark bridge because they're so afraid of it. Um, and I try to explain to them like how gentle and docile they are and that they're not actually out to eat us because we don't taste good to them. U, we are not on their menu of food. [Music] I am Alexis Fleming. I am a senior biologist at Adventure Aquarium. My day-to-day is different. Um, I do have to feed the sharks. I have to make sure that they are well cared for in terms of their water quality as well. Um, and that we also make sure that their exhibit is nice and clean for them. So, those are just a few things that we do. >> We're spoiling them by taking the beaks out. [Music] So, we are on top of Shark Realm right now and we are actually about to start one of the shark feeds. I'm thinking about if they're actually going to eat this food item that I am providing for them today. Um, they are very picky with their food sometimes, so I'm just hoping that they'll actually eat for me today. So, usually grab one at a time. So, usually slap it in the water to uh kind of get their attention. You hungry? No. He was like, I didn't like that. B4. And then we'll do N6. It's been patiently waiting. N6. So N stands for nurse shark. Um and then we have a number just based off of when they come into the aquarium. Um it's a lot easier when we are feeding, especially when we're feeding a lot quickly. Um that we can just shout out the numbers for the recorder to write down. So it's easier for them to kind of take tallies of who's eating. Uh, we also have ST for sand tiger and then we have B for sandbar. So that's kind of how that works. And then the sharks each have their own little markings that they just naturally have. So we will use that to kind of tell them apart. B21 ST2. >> Honestly, the most important thing about sharks is like the way that they're portrayed. just because they have such a bad rap, but like they are so important to any environment that like we need sharks. For me, it would be most important to like kind of turn that fear around if they do have that. Working with them for so long, I've just my interest in them has grown so much and I've just realized like the media just really makes them to be much worse than they are. Um, but it's really nice to see them on my own terms as well. Um, so I think hopefully by the end of the day people will realize that just after being here that they can live freely with sharks. Um, and I think after being here you can kind of see that on your own and that is the end goal for us. [Music]