ORLANDO, Fla. – SEA LIFE Orlando on Friday welcomed three new marine animals to its new aquarium, which is set to open in a few weeks on International Drive.
Three sandbar sharks were transported Thursday night from a holding facility on a 15-hour ride to Central Florida.
"They arrived here in great shape and we acclimated the three sharks by adding water and adjusting their water so it matches, and they're comfortable," said Steve Blair, curator of animal welfare and development at SEA LIFE Orlando.
The sharks were originally at other SEA LIFE locations in Kansas City and San Diego.
"These would be kind of sub-adult size sandbar sharks. They're about 4 to 4.5 feet long. They're sometimes called brown sharks, and they're characterized by this big tall dorsal fin," said Blair.
The attraction opened to the media Friday to reveal its new "360 tunnel," which gives visitors a unique view the aquarium's Atlantic Ocean habitat. It's one of few in the world and the only in Orlando. Guests walk through a clear tube and can see fish swimming from the ground up.
"You feel like you're scuba diving. You feel like you're in the tank itself," said Blair.
The sharks can be viewed from the tunnel, too. They are fed high-quality fish, said Blair, who added that they're trained and fed often to keep full so they don't prey on the thousands of fish in the exhibit.
"The goal is to create a habitat that mimics where they live in the wild, and I think we've done a very good job of that here," said Blair.
There eventually will be 5,000 fish in the building.
SEA LIFE Orlando opens May 4.