swimming with the sharks

[mercedes]

we are heading to POP in july. my daughter is anxious to swim with the sharks. has anyone tried it and what is it like. they do not look big in the promo. i am sure they are very passive. just curious what to expect.
thanks

[Wolf]

Its awesome, we did it in Oct this past year, the water is totally cold though. The sharks are really neat, I used a underwater camera and got some really great shots (pick up one before ya go tho cause they are really high there) 1 shark ended up swiming up the wall and had me kinda nervous but he was really passive, I was within like 2 ft of him and he never really seemed to care. Plus there are lots and lots of lifeguards around the area so it was real safe.

[jillluvsdisney]

In order for your daughter to swim with the sharks she needs to be able to paddle across the pool. I think it's about 40 or 50 feet. You can't kick your legs becuase that upsets the fish. You basically doggie paddle your way thru. The water is deep and very chilly.

[WEDTOPIA]

The sharks are bonnetheads and leopard sharks ,and they aren't agressive.

This is a very cool little adventure. As someone said ,the water is a little cold ,but you get used to it fast. You basically float your way across the lagoon ,and I believe you can still go as many times as you want ,as long as you go back to the equipment center first.

Have fun !

[SgtTigger]

OK two rules of life for me..........

1 never jump out of a peferctaly good airplane


2 never willingly swim with sharks


But hey have fun..........

[tundramom]

There is an underwater viewing area that you can walk thru first to get a feel for the exhibit. I really wnted to do this but , once I stepped off of the waiting platform I sunk like a stone because I was freezing! I am a very capable swimmer but I didn't feel like I could keep myself afloat and not roil up the water so I couldn't do it . Not enough natural buoyancy for me. Better luck to you.

[kakn7294]

I have not done this yet but I did research it for a past trip. You have to be a strong swimmer to be able to swim straight across the tank - 60 ft - without stopping. You cannot kick hard and stir up the water and you must stay at the surface. A child under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. The water is kept cold for the sharks' comfort but they are passive breeds and not extremely large.

[pook@wdw]

The water is cold, the experience is AWESOME! Take an waterproof camera w/you. there is no kicking /splashing, so she must be able to basically paddle across the pool. There are quards standing by to show her how to use the equipment and to see that she's safe. So if she's not afraid of the sharks (they're not aggressive at all) she'll love it...I did! Just remember, keep the snorkel above water and breathe thru your mouth!!

[CrystalRayne]

I can't seem to find the answer to this one. Is there a cost for swimming with the sharks? Is there normally a wait to do this? Thank you in advance for your help.

[Piglet822]

There is no extra charge to swim with the sharks. It's included in your TL admittance fee.
I only did this once, several years ago, I don't recall a wait. Once you get your gear it moves pretty quickly.