Q: What's worse than one shark coming to dinner?
A: Two sharks coming to dinner.
Turns out, in order to take care of their sharks, Mote aquarists actually train them to eat near special targets. Each species of shark is trained to feed at a different type of target.
Dr. Eugenie Clark, Mote's founding director, was the first scientist to document that sharks were capable of learning such tasks. She began training sharks back in the 1950s and was able to demonstrate how adaptable they really are. Until Clark told the world about her efforts, sharks were thought of as mindless eating machines.
And now you can see and hear first-hand how the folks at Mote train these cool creatures.
The Training Sessions take place at 11 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. You can watch, listen, and even ask the Mote staff questions.
More news to twirl your beach towel?
The sessions are free with admission.