When people think of sharks, the chances are John Williams’ famous film score from Jaws will quickly spring to mind.
But now, a north-east tourist attraction is striving to redress the balance about one of the most misunderstood species of the deep.
The simple image of a shark is enough to strike fear into many people’s hearts, but Macduff Marine Aquarium is aiming to help the public look beyond their notorious reputation.
Throughout October, the facility is hosting its Shark Season with a series of talks, workshops and activities aimed at dispelling myths about the fearsome predators.
The project follows a shark school programme, which offered more than 300 primary school kids the opportunity to get to grips with sharks, skates and rays.
From October 8, daily science workshops will explore the lives of the deep-sea creatures through a series of specially-themed activities, talks and dissections.
Sandra Bisset, the aquarium’s learning officer, said: “We’ve been running Shark Season for a number of years and it’s very popular.
“Sharks have a fearsome reputation, but everyone is also fascinated by them. Shark Season is an opportunity for people to get an in-depth understanding of these incredible animals.”
On October 22, Dr Caroline Barelle from the University of Aberdeen will host a talk about her research into the antibodies found in shark blood, and the role they could play in medicine.
Aberdeenshire Library Service will also visit, on October 12 and 19, to inspire little ones with a shark-themed BookBug session under the back drop of the aquarium’s kelp tank.
Macduff Marine Aquarium houses six different local shark species and has its own shark nursery where dogfish and rays are hatched and cared for, prior to being released into the wild.
During Shark Season, there will be daily shark crèche talks at the aquarium’s nursery tank where visitors can learn about the dogfish’s growth and see the shark pup embryo growing inside the egg case.
