Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay - Las Vegas Nevada - small private aquarium featuring sharks

Opened in 2000, Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay is a completely unique concept and facility - a fully functioning aquarium, animal care and research facility that is part of an operating hotel in Las Vegas. The concept paid off for the developers. Since its opening, Shark Reef has attracted over 8 million visitors and served over 100,000 Las Vegas schoolchildren. Shark Reef was accredited by the Association of Aquariums and Zoos in 2003, becoming the first animal care facility to be accredited in the state of Nevada. The aquarium remains the only accredited animal care facility in Nevada as of 2009.

Shark Reef consists of 14 separate exhibits, some of them interconnected. The most popular and elaborate of the exhibits is the Shipwreck, a simulated pirate ship at the bottom of a 1.3 million gallon exhibit tank. Surrounded by over 30 sharks, visitors are completely immersed in the underwater world around them while hammerheads, tiger sharks, nurse sharks and several other species of shark swim around and above. In addition to the sharks, the waters around the pirate ship are populated by stingrays, barracuda and other schools of fish that visitors can watch.

Visitors leave the Shipwreck via an acrylic tunnel that takes them directly through the shark infested waters and open out into a central court surrounded by aquaria holding one of the most complete collections of aquatic life in the region. The tanks include displays of tropical moon jellyfish, a Caribbean reef, a freshwater tank holding denizens from the Amazon, and a 2,000-gallon tank of piranhas. The Touch Pool lets visitors get up close and personal with horseshoe crabs and stingrays, which are safe for guests to touch - but the venomous fish exhibit featuring lionfish is most definitely hands-off.

Among the exhibits at Shark Reef are a number of rare and endangered species, including Komodo dragons, sawfish, green sea turtles and Arapaima, a South American fish. Shark Reef Aquarium participates in captive breeding programs whose aim is to preserve endangered and threatened species through a program of breeding in captivity. Births at the Aquarium have included Southern Stingrays, bonnethead sharks, California round rays and black piranhas.

In keeping with its mission to educate and entertain, the Shark Reef offers educational tours and field trips to area schools. Educational tours include a one hour guided tour and one hour of hands-on activities, and run twice daily throughout the school year. Programs are designed to be grade-appropriate and enjoyable. Shark Reef also offers Girl Scout Badge Programs and outreach programs that will bring animals out to your school or group.

General admission tickets can be purchased at the box office or online. Cost is under $20, but there are package prices available that include souvenir photos and/or dinner and special events. The Aquarium is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., but may close early for special events. For more specific information about admission and hours, contact the Shark Reef box office at (702) 632-4555.