CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The new school year may be well underway, but South Texans can still experience a summer excursion in our own backyard!
The Texas State Aquarium is where conservation, rescue and education come face-to-face, almost like a giant classroom for "kids" of all ages.
For aquarium CEO, Jesse Gilbert, educating others about wildlife conservation efforts is a year-round responsibility.
"It’s rescue -- rescue is dominating what happens at the aquarium, so I do tell people when you buy your ticket at the aquarium you are now supporting the country’s leading wildlife rescue program," Gilbert said, "And it’s the biggest in the country at this point, so weirdly these sharks, even these eels are participating in saving Texas wildlife."
He, along with fellow staff like Education Manager Nicole Gaertner, aim to make that experience as immersive and long-lasting as possible.
"You can enjoy your family time and learning about the animals or immersing ourselves in these environments, but you also have the opportunity to immerse and really take something away," Gaertner said. "Our goal is that you’re able to take that piece and maybe teach somebody else about conservation efforts or what can we do to make a difference."
She helps to lead and oversee the STEM Center there at the aquarium. The program works to create a pipeline of students as young as third graders who come in for Sea Camp, then make their way to Aqua Teen Academy and eventually grow into college students interested in STEM or marine biology careers.
"Another really important part of my job, and something I really love is being part of the STEM Center and this pipeline because this is going to be supporting our future generations and those who will be doing my job in 20 years," she said.
Beginning this semester, the aquarium kicked off a unique partnership with Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi for their "Public Aquarium and Operations" course that is offered to upper-level marine biology students.
Gaertner says it's a small, immersive class that allows students to see what goes on behind the scenes of all facets of the aquarium.
On this particular day, the 'classroom' for 3NEWS Anchor Leslie Adami and Meteorologist Carly Smith, was the Caribbean Sea Exhibit which is the largest fish exhibit at the aquarium, holding half a million gallons of sea water from the Corpus Christi Bay.
It's also the exhibit that houses the aquarium's snorkel program to give aquarium visitors the opportunity to snorkel with sharks! It's a space Gilbert explains provides an opportunity to talk about sharks, show why they're so important to Texas fisheries and how fortunate we are to have them in Texas.
"They take out the sick fish that are in the wild, they help keep those populations in check," she said. "So, all the fish that we fish for in South Texas: red drum, flounder, sea trout, these guys help keep those populations healthy. So, if were to lose sharks out of the ecosystem those fisheries could have real problems which could impact not only just the fish, but fishing and tourism and the economy. So, these sharks are very very important to keep in Texas and to keep Texas waters healthy!"
Prior to our cage diving experience, the sharks were well fed -- although according to Gilbert, they're not all too interested in the humans that drop in to begin with.
"We’re not on the menu," he said. "Humans are not on the menu for sharks. We did have some interactions earlier this year in South Padre. When sharks investigate, they investigate with their mouths and unfortunately their mouth have a lot of teeth, but we’re not on the menu, so there’s nothing to be scared of."
However, this does not mean to take them lightly, as they are still wild animals. Gilbert advises that beachgoers still exercise caution and avoid swimming in the dusk and dawn hours as that is when sharks typically hunt near the shore.
Fortunately at the aquarium, these are all lessons you can become fully immersed in within the comfort and safety of the cage walls. After being instructed by a trained diver there at the aquarium, you're carefully guided into the cage to begin your snorkel experience (which staff says is often booked solid all summer long, but appears to offer more availability during the fall months).
Here were some of our takeaways:
Carly:
"It's really humbling to be under water with the sharks watching them swim and just observing them!"
"Another big take away is that I'm less nervous of sharks and stingrays in the Gulf, but I'm also more aware of they’re out there and it’s their home."
"I am very cold, it is like surfing in the winter in South Texas. But they, the sharks swam really close to you and when you set up in a spot where you’re not looking at the bars of the cage you kinda have your feet hooked on the bar, but your toes are sticking out a little bit and the shark swims by you’re kinda like, 'wow, that shark is very close!' "
Leslie:
"We're so used to breathing in and out through our nose so, it took me a moment to adjust to purely mouth breathing, but it was honestly very therapeutic once you’re there and you’re just surrounded by the sealife and the sharks. I just wanted to stay in there all day."
"One of my bucket list items is to go cage diving with a great white shark, and one day I will do that, but in our own backyard we have this experience so I might as well take advantage of it."
"Once you’re in there, you forget about being cold or maybe uncomfortable you’re just so, 'can I get closer? How can I make the most out of this experience?' "
To learn more about the shark snorkel experience or wildlife conservation volunteer opportunities at the Texas State Aquarium, click here.
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