The
Planet Shark: Predator or Prey exhibit at the Museum of Nature and Science brings you up close and personal to the world of sharks. With 12,000 square feet of sharks from all over the world including fossils, jaws, and teeth, full-size models, and even frozen specimens, it is the largest exhibit that the Museum of Nature and Science has ever hosted. The exhibit covers the history and evolution of the shark, the anatomy and comparisons of different sharks, and even the pop culture perspective of sharks including a room of memorabilia from the 1975 classic shark tale, Jaws.
My son and I got a sneak peek of the
Planet Shark: Predator or Prey exhibit. It was incredible! I’ll just say that my little guy is already making plans to go back again this weekend!
She Is Dallas Info: The Planet Shark: Predator or Prey will be open to the public from November 3, 2011 – September 6, 2012. The exhibit is located in the Museum of Nature & Science in Fair Park, Science Building, 1318 S. 2nd Avenue, Dallas, TX 75210. Admission to the Planet Shark exhibit requires a surcharge in addition to the purchase of MNS general admission. Total admission cost is $18 for adults, $16 for seniors and students age 12-17, $13 for children age 2-11, children under 2 are free. $5 for all MNS members. There are also package deals if you’d like to also see any IMAX film including Sharks as well as membership package deals. Parking is available in the lot across from the Science Building. Enter at Gate 5 or Gate 6 off Robert B. Cullum Blvd. For more information or to purchase your tickets in advance (recommended), please visit the Museum of Nature and Science website or follow MNS Facebook or MNS Twitter.
As you can imagine, there are some fascinating shark teeth and jaws throughout the exhibit.
Did you know that sharks go through about
26,000 teeth in their lifetime?
They do!
And you too can see exactly what 26,000 shark teeth looks like when you go to the exhibit.
There is a Battle of the Jaws area where you can see jaws of a Great White Shark compared to the jaws of an Orca whale. Who do you think would win that battle?
Some of the unique jaws included the sawfish shark which is my son’s favorite. But actually there were so many unusual sharks that we had never heard of before that it is hard to really say which was his favorite . Each time he learned about a new one with a particularly unique trait, he would just say “Wow! That’s so cool!” and soon they all became his “favorite shark”.
We spent a lot of time at the amazing interactive touch screens. My son probably spent an hour of our visit at these various screens as he learned about different prehistoric and modern day sharks. He liked making the sharks swim, rotate, and roll with just a touch of his finger. He learned about the extra senses that sharks have beyond our normal five. There is a lot of information at these screens but it is very interactive and fun to explore.
We saw dozens of full size shark replicas including a Great White. I was most impressed with the real Mako shark and tuna that were fossilized in ice, frozen in time. It was amazing to learn how incredibly fast the Makos are but also how the tuna have adapted over time to evade the marvelous Makos as well.
We took a break to sit and watch the three mega-sized screens showing stunning sequences of sharks in HD.
There are some cool interactive parts of the exhibit. My son loved putting his arm in the sample chain mail suit as we learned about observing sharks in their natural environment but I think the shark cage was definitely his favorite.
One of nature’s oldest and most feared creatures, the shark is also one of the most misunderstood. Throughout the exhibit you learn that shark attacks are not very common and many sharks are actually not a danger to people at all. Fishing pressure and media misrepresentation has put many species of this magnificent creature under serious threat of extinction.
The Planet Shark: Predator or Prey exhibit opens today and will be in Dallas until next September. Make plans now to see it. You don’t want to miss it!
I must give a special thanks to Patrick and Scott, educators at the Museum of Nature and Science, for sharing their knowledge and passion for teaching with us during our visit.
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