Bob From Somerville: Sharks and Stingrays

On the weekend I was lucky enough to be able to visit the New England Aquarium, which is one of my favorite places in Boston. I am always fascinated by the Giant Ocean Tank, and could sit around for hours staring at the marine life swimming round and round. In fact, I did exactly that. I am also always fascinated by the fact that the animals, especially the sharks in the tank, do not eat each other. I once heard a diver who worked there state that they actually overfeed the animals, so that they are not even tempted to nibble on any other occupants of the tank.

While at the aquarium, I also had the opportunity to visit their new Touch Tank exhibit, and guess what? I got to touch a small hammerhead shark and small stingrays! They swim right up to you if you hold your hand still in the water. It was amazing! They feel slightly slimy, but it was well worth it. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to take any pictures (as I was too busy trying to touch the animals), so I am borrowing a few pictures from the Aquarium's website, just so that you can see what it looked like.