Ancient Predators And Modern Carnivores Sharks Exhibit

Visitors this season will have the opportunity to discover more about sharks, in an exhibit that explores everything from a shark's biology, lifestyle, and evolution to the impact they have on humans. Despite their menacing look, sharks are truly more fascinating and even likeable once you get to know them.

Northern Jaws, Sharks of Canada, opens at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History on Saturday, April 22, and runs until Sept. 4.

Northern Jaws features a series of interactive units which allow visitors to navigate through a realistic shark cage, with visuals, sound effects and five life-sized shark models. "A closer look at their lifestyle and extraordinary senses of sharks may change our understanding and appreciation of this remarkable species and might actually have you liking sharks a whole lot," said Janet Maltby, museum operations manager.

There are more than 400 shark species in the world, of which 41 of which visit Canadian waters. "Only 19 reside in Atlantic Canada's waters," said Andrew Hebda, museum zoologist. "The largest of our sharks are the basking sharks, growing up to almost 10 metres. They are among the most gentle and inoffensive of our fish species.".

Also on display are shark teeth that are bigger than the palm of a man's hand. These are fossilized teeth from Megalodon which lived 23 to 1.8 million years ago. "Megalodon teeth have been found offshore Nova Scotia and are often brought up by fishing draggers. These were the largest sharks to ever to live on Earth, growing up to 12 metres long, which is the length of a school bus," said Mr. Hebda.

The exhibit is presented in both English and French. The Museum of Natural History is located at 1747 Summer St., Halifax. Details on all programs and costs for admission are available on the website at http://nature.museum.gov.ns.ca or by calling 424-6099