Shark tea party at the London Aquarium

A group of divers dropped into a tank for afternoon tea surrounded by formidable looking sharks.

The ‘aquarists’ (apparently it means fish-keepers, the watery equivalent of a zoo-keeper) splashed in to the new shark abode at the SEA LIFE London Aquarium last week.

sharks and soggy cucumber sandwiches can co-exist

This stunt in the Pacific Reef Display was actually to demonstrate that formidable looking sharks and soggy cucumber sandwiches can co-exist. Ok, that’s not quite right – the event marks the opening of a new experience designed to give sharks a bit of positive PR.

Said Deputy Curator, Jamie Oliver (no, not that one): “We wanted to challenge the terrible – and undeserved – reputation sharks have as bloodthirsty killers. What better way of doing it than by joining all of them for tea! The team was very excited to throw the party and the Sharks didn’t blink an eye.”

Idly swimming past the group assembled for tea were newly-arrived Black Tip Reef Sharks, along with Nurse Sharks, Brown Sharks, Sand Tiger Sharks, a Zebra Shark and Bowmouth Guitar Shark. The tanked-up aquarists were Gareth Calvert, Rachel Wicks and Peter Williams.

The Shark Reef Encounter at the London Aquarium is a new and positive experience that challenges what people think they know about sharks. Putting it in context, snakes kill at least 20,000 people annually and even dogs kill more than 50,000. And let’s not even mention the humble Mosquito, responsible for some 800,000 deaths annually. Shark attack deaths barely reach double figures.

London Aquarium’s new shark exhibit gives visitors the opportunity to get face to fin with these powerful animals, thanks to a 5m glass walkway allowing guests to literally walk above their heads.

If you’re in the Capital and can’t wait until your next overseas dive trip, check out www.visitsealife.com/London and take a look at the new shark exhibit.