Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay

Above: Up close and personal with an alligator (or is it a crocodile?)

Beyond the obvious gambling machines, tables, and rooms, every resort casino in Vegas has the following common elements:
- Overpriced boutiques
- A dozen or so restaurants
- Exactly one eatery open all night
- Starbucks (perhaps one at each end of the casino foor)
- One or more nightclubs or lounges
- One big show (Broadway, Cirque de Soleil, etc.)
- And… a special non-gambling, non-dining, non-musical activity

From amusement park rides (Stratosphere, New York New York, Circus Circus), to water shows (Bellagio), to gondolas, a wax museum, and a Guggenheim outpost at the Venetian, to the lions behind glass at MGM, etc., every resort has at least one attraction of the kind you might find in another city. I wonder at the motivations behind these exhibits, most of which, even if they charge a fee, can’t possibly be profitable.

Mandalay Bay offers The Shark Reef, which “will put you face to face with some of the most dangerous and exotic animals in the world.” In other collateral, they describe it as the only predator-focused aquarium in the world. Since Keryn and I were staying in the hotel, we decided that we might as well give it a shot. Not that there’s a discount for Mandalay key-holders, or anything... But it was a five minute walk from the casino.

The tickets cost us $15.95 apiece, but the audio tour wands were included in the price. I didn’t pay much attention to the fake story behind the motif, but it had something to do with a sunken Mayan temple (or was it Aztec?), but there was also a shipwreck??? In any case, the alligator shown above greeted us straightaway. Not the liveliest critters until they attack, it’s remains eerie, and more than a touch disturbing, to stand so close that you can see into their beady green eyes.

Above: The nifty-keen aquarium tunnel in the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay.

Past the alligator, we visited with “Ed” the water monitor, who may not be much of a threat to humans, but enjoys consuming small mammals whole. His face appears all over Vegas in advertisements for The Shark Reef.

The piranhas looked harmless until we saw their teeth. Yikes. After a brief interlude looking at colorful reef fish, we encountered the sharks. The above photograph does not do justice to the tunnel that sits at the deepest point inside The Shark Reef. It is an impressive sight. Railings lining each side served as perches to support us while we sat watching the always-swimming sharks and the graceful flying rays. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of water above and beside us, teeming with captive life.

I have a vague recollection of an aquarium “petting zoo” back home in Maine: hermit crabs, spiny urchins, perhaps a sea cucumber. At Mandalay Bay, we jammed our arms into a shallow pool to stroke the topside of non-stinging rays. Slimy. Kind of gross. Before then, one of my favorite dishes at McCormick and Schmick’s was the skate wing; now I may have to rethink my position on that menu item.

Above: Jellyfish freak us out. How about you?

We spent ten minutes mesmerized by the jellyfish, listening to the magic audio wand explaining that the creatures before us lack brains and hearts (but what about souls? do they possess souls?). They totally freak me out, yet I couldn't take my eyes off them...

After visiting the National Aquarium in Baltimore last autumn (a blog that has been on my to-do list for three months now), I walked into The Shark Reef expecting to be disappointed. Instead, I left feeling that it was well worth the time. Sharks are cool. If you find yourself with a spare hour and you're in the Mandalay Bay at the time, definitely check it out.

Have a great weekend,
- Normal Guy (aka Jason Shaffner)