In 2003, multitudes of curious guests and members of the media alike descended upon Shedd Aquarium rapt with questions, awe, and wonder over a new exhibition being unveiled at the museum. No, I'm not talking about the Man With Fish statue, in reality, it was something even more amazing. For on April 15, 2003, Shedd Aquarium took the wraps off of an exhibit that hat been in some stage of planning ever since 1995.
Wild Reef: Sharks at Shedd transported the public from the bustling heart of Chicago all the way to a faithful recreation of a village on Apo Island, which is located in the Philippines. Whether it is the hand-crafted coral, the native animals swimming about in the water, or even just the 17.5 tons of sand that were shipped in to make the animals feel even more at home, this exhibit has it all. When I say that it has it all, it has it all. Including a giant floor-to-ceiling acrylic shark tank. The tank walls seem to envelop fully half of the center room, letting you stare into the maw of a truly giant shark exhibit.
Two of the largest animals in there are the guitarfish(named Lucille) and the sawfish(named Ginsu). But wait! There's more! The exhibit also contains a recreation of a Filipino village, as well as a coral nursery at the end of it where the Shedd is attempting to grow coral polyps. There was even a degree of collaboration with Chicago's Filipino community to ensure that the crafters of the exhibit got things just right. Just within the past few weeks, the exhibit has become home to an exhibition of a series of photographs that were taken in the Philippine region documenting the natural wonder of that area of the world. Ten years onward, guests are still being wowed and amazed by the animals that inhabit Shedd's Wild Reef.
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