Shark-Con 2017
Shark-Con is a two day shark convention held at the Florida Fairgrounds on July 8th and 9th, 2017. The convention center is filled with a touch tank, shark tooth dig, Busch Gardens exhibit, paddle board clinic, Go Dive Now scuba pool, shark specimens, marine rescue exhibit, Mote Aquarium mobile exhibit, conservation organization activities, a giant shark slide and more! It's two full days of vendors, speakers, food and fun!
Florida Aquarium, Mote Aquarium, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and Visit Tampa Bay are just a few of the many sponsors for Shark Con 4. Some of the speakers who will be at the event are Anthony Ferrante from Sharknado, Eli Martinez and Duncan Brake from Shark Week, Ryan Walton and shark scientists like Dr. Stephen Kajiuru, Dr. Heather Blacktail and Dr.Rick Macpherson. Brent Winner from Fish and Wildlife will be giving a shark and ray ID presentation. Shark Conservationist and founder of Sharks4Kids, Jillian Morris Brake is coming among many others.
Check the discussion in their Facebook Event for all of the information on speakers, sponsors and vendors. They have really outdone themselves this year and we are so excited to go! When purchasing your tickets online select a child ticket and use the code TBMOMS you will get a free child's ticket (age 3-14). Thank you Shark-Con!
Sharks are so misunderstood thanks, in part, to old movies and lack of education. Shark Week helps a lot and I believe Shark Con can help even more. The number of sharks killed by humans could be anywhere from 63 million to 270 million. Compare this to the number of humans killed by sharks each year- roughly 10-15. Many species are on the verge of becoming extinct and this severely disrupts the ocean's ecosystem.
My 12 year old son walked into Shark Con 3 in love with sharks and afraid of the ocean. He walked out wanting to become a certified scuba diver and shark conversationalist. After listening to shark and dive expert, Jim Abernethy, my son asked what kids can do to help sharks survive. Jim said, "Get certified and come dive with me in Palm Beach." We spent six hours at the event that Saturday walking around to all of the different vendors, listening to the speakers and having an incredible time. We became friends with the people who designed Shark Bytes- a free,
research-based app that helps you to research shark incidents that have occurred all over the world and bought t-shirts to help their cause.
When we got home, we shared our experience with my husband and two of my daughters. They begged to go the next day so off we went for another incredible day. The girls wouldn't get in the scuba pool but my son couldn't wait! We learned so much last year and are so excited to go again!
Watch for the 4 pack giveaway for tickets to this year's Shark-Con on our Facebook page coming soon!
