Sharks visitors can touch. Behemoth prehistoric Buzz Saw Sharks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 16, 2014
Contact: Kris Sherman, 253-404-3800, 253-226-6718; [email protected]
Sharks visitors can touch. Behemoth prehistoric Buzz Saw Sharks and fossils to view.
The whimsical, lyrical murals and paintings of Alaska artist Ray Troll.
A humongous megalodon shark jaw to walk through. 17 live large sharks to see.
SHARKMANIA! is all of that and oceans more.
TACOMA, Wash. – It’s sharks, sharks and more sharks at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium this summer with
the opening of SHARKMANIA!, a not-to-be missed combination of exhibits that will leave breathless
visitors wanting to see more.
SHARKMANIA! opens June 21
with an all new shark-touch
experience; a fact-based and very
fun exhibit of huge prehistoric
sharks; and a brand-new replica
of a megalodon shark jaw.
They perfectly complement the largest warm-water shark exhibit in the Puget Sound region and the
popular Eye-to-Eye Shark Dive experience that opened last fall.
So, what’s all the buzz about?
TOUCHABLE SHARKS: For the first time ever at the zoo, there are sharks people may touch.
Whitespotted bamboo sharks and
epaulette sharks glide through the
waters of Stingray Cove, and visitors can
dip their fingers into the pool to feel the
sharks’ sandpaper-like scales.
They range from about 18 inches to 3
feet long.
Sharks and stingrays are cousins, and the
touchable sharks will swim in the pool
with dinner-plate sized stingrays, which
visitors also may touch.
The small sharks aren’t aggressive, so visitors needn’t worry about being nipped. Likewise, the stingrays’
barbs are clipped, so people can slide their fingers over the rays’ velvety bodies without fear of being stung.
THE BUZZ SAW SHARKS OF LONG AGO:
Imagine a behemoth shark with strong
jaws and teeth in the shape of a
circular saw, ideally suited for first
crimping its prey and then ripping it
apart.
It sounds like the stuff of science
fiction or B-rated horror movies. But
the Helicoprion was very real, a huge
cartilaginous fish that grew up to 25
feet long and roamed the Permian seas
in the Paleozoic era 270 million years
ago.
Now, it has come to life again through
an exhibit in the zoo’s North Pacific
Aquarium.
The Buzz Saw Sharks of Long Ago exhibition is grounded in science while at the same time springing from the
lively imagination of Alaska artist Ray Troll, who has persistently pursued details of the gigantic prehistoric
shark for more than two decades.
The exhibit features fossils from the Idaho Museum of Natural History and sculpture by Gary Staab in
addition to Troll’s artwork.
It is rooted in more than a hundred years of study and very recent scientific research fusing the inquisitive
minds of paleontologists with reconstruction work accomplished by powerful 21st century CT scanners.
Four fossils - one as big as an automobile tire - show the
elaborate whorls, or tooth structures, of Helicoprion.
These fossils were dug out of phosphate mines in Idaho.
The exhibit also contains three casts of priceless fossils,
including one that was key to learning the actual dentition
of the strange-looking sharks.
A 15-foot-long prehistoric shark sculpture hangs over the
main tank of the North Pacific Aquarium. Five ratfish, the
shark’s living relatives, swim peacefully in the pool below.
And the big fiberglass shark swimming in the air over them? Well, he’s just the baby of the exhibit.
Nearby, a huge Helicoprion bursts out of a wall, giving the impression that its head and upper body are on
one side, while the rest of the shark is on the other. The toothy, fearsome side visitors see is about 14 ½ feet
long and about 8 feet high. That would make the whole shark a 24-foot behemoth.
On another wall, a 17 ½ -foot-long-by-8foot-high mural painted by Troll shows
an ocean full of the huge sharks and
their prey.
More than 20 pieces of Troll’s art hang
on the North Pacific Aquarium walls,
which were hand-painted for this
exhibit by Troll and a cadre of
volunteers.
Waves and images of sharks and other
sea life help immerse visitors in the Buzz
Saw Sharks of Long Ago experience.
MEGALADON MOMENTS: A 6 1/2-foot high replica of a megalodon shark jaw stands on the floor of the
North Pacific Aquarium, where visitors can step inside to appreciate its size – and snap a few photos. It’s a
jaw-dropping experience.
AN AQUARIUM FULL OF SHARKS: Seventeen sharks glide around the tropical waters of the 240,000-gallon
South Pacific Aquarium. A large lemon shark, about 9-feet long and weighing around 450-pounds swims
effortlessly through the water, her pectoral fins sweeping up a bit at the ends, similar to the winglets on a
large aircraft. Her aquarium mates include a toothsome sand tiger shark, three sandbar sharks, a blacktip
reef shark, a Japanese wobbegong, or carpet, shark, and 10 nurse sharks. Visitors can see shark feeds at 11
a.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays.
EYE-TO-EYE SHARK DIVES: Divers from 8 through adult and all experience levels can immerse themselves in
the world of the zoo’s 17 sharks and get closer to the animals than ever before. No experience is necessary
to slip a dry suit on over street clothes and step into a cage while breathing surface-supplied air. Cage divers
– ages 8 and up - get a wonderful view of the sharks while standing underwater in a sturdy cage. Certified
scuba divers – 15 and up – swim into the shark exhibit with a diver guide for an even closer look at the
sharks. Prices are: Cage dives, $60 for zoo members, $75 for non-members; Scuba dives, $160 for members,
$175 for non-members. Online reservations are required and may be made at www.pdza.org/dive.
The shark touch experience is a permanent addition to the popular Stingray Cove, which opened last
summer. The whitespotted bamboo sharks and epaulette sharks will join about a dozen dinner-plate sized
stingrays in the touch tank.
The Buzz Saw Sharks of Long Ago will remain at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium through Dec. 31.
The shark touch experience and The Buzz Sharks of Long Ago exhibit are free with zoo admission.
“We’re pleased to present SHARKMANIA! to our guests,” said John Garner, the zoo’s education curator.
“We know they will find it both intriguing and fun and we think they’ll walk away with the joy of discovery.”
But there’s a very serious message in the exhibits, too.
An estimated 100 million sharks are killed each year for their fins, meat, liver oil and cartilage, as well as
from overfishing. Millions of those are killed specifically for shark fin soup, a delicacy in many parts of the
world.
“Conservation is at the heart of this exhibit,” Garner said. “Sharks are crucial to the ecosystems of the
world’s oceans. We believe visitors who touch sharks, learn about sharks and are captivated by the story of
270-million-year-old sharks will be inspired to take action to protect these animals,” he added.
Helping sharks can be as simple as not buying shark fin soup, shark cartilage pills or souvenirs like shark
jaws; writing to Congressional representatives about strong federal laws to protect sharks; and buying
seafood harvested using sustainable practices that avoid harming sharks.
For more information about sharks and ways to help them, go to www.pdza.org/savesharks.
For additional details about SHARKMANIA! go to www.pdza.org/sharkmania.
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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Northwest’s only combined zoo and aquarium, promotes responsible stewardship
of the world’s resources through education, conservation, research and recreational opportunities. The zoo, a division of
Metro Parks Tacoma, is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and the Alliance of Marine Mammal
Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA).
Photo captions:
Photo 1: A behemoth Helicoprion, or buzz saw shark, bursts from a wall in the North Pacific Aquarium at Point Defiance
Zoo & Aquarium. Behind the sculpture by Gary Staab are the images of Alaska artist Ray Troll, hand-painted on the
aquarium walls by Troll and a number of volunteers. The sculpture, Troll’s art, and artifacts from the Idaho Museum of
Natural history fuse art and scientific discoveries in a wondrous exhibit about gigantic sharks that roamed the world’s
oceans 270 million years ago.
Photo 2: A whitespotted bamboo shark, about 3 feet long, is part of the new shark touch experience in the South
Pacific Aquarium at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The shark touch experience is part of the larger SHARKMANIA!
exhibition at the zoo.
Photo 3: Visitors use their fingers to feel the sandpaper-like skin of an epaulette shark in the Stingray Cove area of the
South Pacific Aquarium at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The shark touch experience is part of SHARKMANIA! at the
zoo.
Photo 4: A 15-foot-long replica of a buzz saw shark, its teeth very much like a circular saw, hangs over the main pool of
the North Pacific Aquarium at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. The sculpture by Gary Staab is part of The Buzz Saw
Sharks of Long Ago exhibit, part of SHARKMANIA! at the zoo.
Photo 5: A fossil from the Idaho Museum of Natural History shows the whorl pattern of the prehistoric Helicoprion’s
teeth.
Photo 6: Alaska artist Ray Troll poses with a whorl tooth fossil from the Idaho Museum of Natural History. The huge
sculpture of the prehistoric Helicoprion, or buzz saw shark, behind him is by Gary Staab. The Buzz Saw Sharks of Long
Ago exhibit is part of SHARKMANIA! at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
ABOUT SHARKMANIA!
What is it? SHARKMANIA! lets you experience sharks with several of your senses.
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Touch sharks and stingrays at Stingray Cove.
Take in the buzz of the Buzz Sharks of Long Ago exhibit, an interactive display of original art, sculpture,
artifacts and other pieces that fuses imagination and science.
Marvel at Gary Staab’s sculpture of the gargantuan prehistoric Helicoprion bursting through a wall and
see another suspended over the main pool of the North Pacific Aquarium’s main pool, as if it’s ready to
dive in in search of prey.
Learn about the prehistoric shark’s bizarre tooth structure as you view fossils and other artifacts from
the Idaho Museum of Natural History.
Enjoy the storytelling of Alaska artist Ray Troll in his colorful drawings and murals.
Push the button on an interactive model of the huge shark’s jaw to see how it moved as it chomped on
its prey.
Search for hamburgers hidden on the walls and in Troll’s whimsical artwork.
Be awed by the size of megalodon’s jaw as you step inside and pose for a picture moment.
When is it? Opens June 21;
 The Buzz Saw Sharks of Long Ago exhibit runs through Dec. 31. The exhibit is a collaboration of the Idaho
Museum of Natural History, Alaska artist Ray Troll and sculptor Gary Staab.
 The shark touch experience, megalodon shark jaw, main shark exhibit with 17 large sharks and Eye-to-Eye
Shark Dives are permanent exhibits/experiences at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
Where is it? Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, 5400 N. Pearl St., Tacoma
What are its key messages?
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People working together accomplish great things. A unique combination of scientific research, art, and
digital technology were brought together to discover the true shape of the buzz saw shark.
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Animals living today teach us about animals that lived millions of years ago. The small and unassuming
ratfish of the Pacific Northwest is the closest living relative of the buzz saw shark.
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Sharks need protection. Sharks have been a vital part of the ocean food web for millions of years, but
now they are facing extreme pressures from commercial fishing. People can help by making responsible seafood
choices and supporting laws protecting sharks to ensure their future.
A compilation of facts from The Buzz Saw Sharks of Long Ago exhibit; research on the gigantic
Helicoprion; and sharks at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
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270 million years ago: Approximate time during which Helicoprion, or gigantic whorl tooth sharks
roamed the Permian seas
200 million: Estimated number of ratfish in Puget Sound. They’re a living relative of prehistoric
sharks.
2013: Year in which a group of scientists discovered how the jaws of the behemoth worked. They
employed sophisticated CT scans of a fossil uncovered in Idaho to arrive at their revelations. Idaho
State University paleontologist Leif Tapanila and his coauthors described their findings in the Royal
Society journal “Biology Letters.”
1950: Helicoprion fossil containing a tooth whorl and bits of cartilage from the upper jaw and skull
is found in the Waterloo Phosphate Mine near Montpelier, Idaho.
1899: Year in which Russian A. Karpinsky first described Helicoprion based on an incomplete fossil
from the Ural region of Russia. Karpinsky named it Helicoprion, which means spiral saw.
100 million: Estimated number of sharks killed each year for their fins, meat, liver oil, cartilage and
other uses
25 feet long or more: Estimated size of some of the huge buzz saw sharks
20: Framed pieces of art by Alaska artist Ray Troll in The Buzz Saw Sharks of Long Ago exhibit
17 ½-feet-long-by-8-feet high: Size of Ray Troll mural hanging in the North Pacific Aquarium
17: Large sharks in the South Pacific Aquarium, including a 9-foot-long, 450-pound lemon shark
4: Rare fossils from the collections of the Idaho Museum of Natural History on display
3: Fossil casts of priceless specimens from the Idaho Museum of Natural History
5: Number of ratfish currently in the North Pacific Aquarium at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
3: Short documentary films in The Buzz Sharks of Long Ago exhibit
2: Life-size Helicoprion sculptures by Gary Staab in The Buzz Saw Sharks of Long Ago exhibit
1: Interactive Helicoprion jaw model, with a button visitors can push to see how it worked, in the
Buzz Saw Sharks exhibit
1: Life-size megalodon jaw replica in the North Pacific Aquarium
About our new sharks
Touchable shark species join their cartilaginous cousins at Stingray Cove
Whitespotted bamboo shark
Chiloscyllium plagiosum
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Description: About 2-3 feet long. The body has dark
brown stripes on a lighter brown or gray background
with numerous irregular white spots. Juveniles have
bold, dark bands and a few scattered white spots.
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Range: Found throughout the waters of the Indo-West
Pacific, including Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Japan and The
Philippines.
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Habitat: Lives in shallow tropical reefs. The long, slender body shape lends itself well to gliding along
coral reefs and hiding in reef crevices.
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Conservation status*: Near Threatened. Both commercial and traditional fisheries target this species for
human consumption over large parts of its range. Degradation of coral reef habitats also poses a threat.
Epaulette Shark
Hemiscyllium ocellatum
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Description: About 2-3 feet long, small and slender
with a short snout. The body is cream-colored with
brown spots and subtle dark bands.
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Range: Found in the the western Pacific Ocean in
waters around New Guinea and northern Australia.
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Habitat: These sharks live in shallow tropical reefs.
Their long, slender body shape lends itself well to gliding along coral reefs and hiding in reef crevices.
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Conservation status*: Least Concern. Collection for aquarium trade and bycatch from fishing activities in
Australian waters places only minimal pressure on this species and much of its Australian habitat is
encompassed by protected marine parks. However, the population off New Guinea is classified as Near
Threatened due to overfishing, destructive fishing practices and habitat modification.
*Conservation status cited is from the International Union for Conservation of Nature
About the Artist: Ray Troll
Alaska Artist Ray Troll brings his whorl tooth shark
obsession to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
SHARKMANIA! reaches beyond the world of the living
to celebrate the extinct “buzz saw” or “whorl tooth” shark. The Buzz Saw Sharks of Long Ago is brought
to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium by artist Ray Troll and the Idaho Museum of Natural History. Ray’s
obsession has turned a century-old journey of scientific discovery into a whimsical exhibit for all ages.
Ray hails from Ketchikan, Alaska, where he creates fishy artwork that expresses his fascination with
evolution, ichthyology, and scientific mystery. His drawings and paintings are featured in museums,
books, and popular fish-filled T-shirt designs.
According to Ray, he was first “bitten by the whorl-tooth shark” after seeing a fossil of the creature’s
unique tooth spiral in 1993. This structure has confounded paleontologists for more than 100 years, but
new research has shed light on the shark’s anatomy, which is why researchers at the Idaho Museum of
Natural History were keen to work with Ray to create the multimedia exhibit.
The Buzz Saw Sharks of Long Ago is a “unique exhibit in that it’s an art exhibit, it’s a science exhibit, it’s
whimsical, fun and goofy; it uses humor, too,” he says. But “the science is all very real.”
Ray hopes that people will leave the exhibit feeling “that science can be fun and that learning about the
natural world can be fun."
His other notable projects include traveling exhibits “Dancing to the Fossil Record,” “Amazon Voyage,”
“Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway,” and “Sharkabet: A Sea of Sharks from A to Z.” There also are books by the
same names.
Learn more at www.trollart.com.