Oklahoma Aquarium
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma Aquarium is located on a 66 acres (26.7 ha) campus along the banks of the Arkansas River
in Jenks
, a southern suburb
of Tulsa
. The 72000 square feet (6,689 m²) facility was built in 2002 with the expectation to bring nearly 500,000 visitors to the Tulsa metropolitan area
annually. The Oklahoma Aquarium opened on May 28, 2003.
On display is an ever growing array of exotic marine life, as well as fish and freshwater environments native to Oklahoma. The aquarium's showcase attraction is Shark Adventure, a 500000 gal shark
tank, complete with a shark tunnel
that allows visitors to walk 'through' the shark environment. Near the middle of the tunnel is a 12 feet (3.7 m) high, 20 feet (6.1 m) wide all-acrylic
observation dome designed to give unobstructed, 360-degree views of the entire tank and its Bull shark
, Lemon shark
, Nurse shark
, and Sand Tiger Shark inhabitants.
's naturalist and filmmaker Nigel Marven
(along with crew) documented four bull sharks at home in the architecturally innovative half-million gallon tank. The resulting shots and commentary were featured in the 2003 edition of Discovery Channel's Shark Week
series.
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
in Jenks
Jenks, Oklahoma
Jenks is a city in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States, and a suburb of Tulsa, in the northeastern part of the state. It is situated between the Arkansas River and U.S. Route 75. Jenks is one of the fastest growing cities in Oklahoma...
, a southern suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. The 72000 square feet (6,689 m²) facility was built in 2002 with the expectation to bring nearly 500,000 visitors to the Tulsa metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
annually. The Oklahoma Aquarium opened on May 28, 2003.
Exhibits
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
tank, complete with a shark tunnel
Shark tunnel
A shark tunnel is an underwater tunnel that passes through an aquarium typically with sharks and related aquatic life.They are usually made of thick acrylic glass....
that allows visitors to walk 'through' the shark environment. Near the middle of the tunnel is a 12 feet (3.7 m) high, 20 feet (6.1 m) wide all-acrylic
Acrylic glass
Poly is a transparent thermoplastic, often used as a light or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. It is sometimes called acrylic glass. Chemically, it is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate...
observation dome designed to give unobstructed, 360-degree views of the entire tank and its Bull shark
Bull shark
The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as Zambezi shark or unofficially known as Zambi in Africa and Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a shark common worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers...
, Lemon shark
Lemon shark
The lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris, is a shark in the family Carcharhinidae, that can grow to long. It is known as the lemon shark because, at certain depths, light interacting with the local seawater can give this shark a tanned and yellow pitted appearance, much like the surface of a...
, Nurse shark
Nurse shark
The nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, sometimes referred to as the Nur Shark is a shark in the nurse sharks family, the only member of its genus Ginglymostoma...
, and Sand Tiger Shark inhabitants.
In the media
In July 2003, Discovery ChannelDiscovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's naturalist and filmmaker Nigel Marven
Nigel Marven
Nigel Marven is a British wildlife presenter, television producer, author, and ornithologist.-Career:Marven studied botany at Bristol University until the age of 22 when he left to begin his career at the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol...
(along with crew) documented four bull sharks at home in the architecturally innovative half-million gallon tank. The resulting shots and commentary were featured in the 2003 edition of Discovery Channel's Shark Week
Shark Week
The Discovery Channel's Shark Week, which first aired on July 27, 1987, is a week-long series of feature television programs dedicated to sharks. Shark Week is held annually, normally running in July or August. Shark Week was developed to help the average person have a greater respect for sharks....
series.