Awe�fear�wonder�respect. Sharks and rays stir strong feelings and evoke powerful myths around the world. Revered as gods by Pacific Islanders, reviled as monsters in contemporary Western cultures, they�re magnificent and mysterious animals whose survival is threatened by human activities.

On April 2, 2004, the Monterey Bay Aquarium will unite these elements in Sharks: Myth and Mystery, a new special exhibition opening in the aquarium�s 20th anniversary year � and 30 years after Peter Benchley�s Jaws imprinted the man-eating shark in the Western public�s imagination. The exhibit will include nearly two dozen living species�and the rich cultural traditions they inspire�under one roof.

Sharks: Myth and Mystery will include some of the largest live-animal displays ever created by the aquarium for a special exhibition. It will also explore how people around the world celebrate sharks and rays through art, dance, stories and other traditions.

�Sharks and rays are part of the world�s cultural heritage,� said exhibit developer Ava Ferguson. �We�ve designed Sharks: Myth and Mystery to immerse visitors in this rich heritage and to challenge some of the stereotypes people might hold about these incredible animals.�

Sharks will feature Galapagos sharks, a common tropical species that has rarely been on public display outside of Hawaii, as well as coral catsharks, zebra sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, southern stingrays, pajama catsharks, puffadder shysharks, freshwater river rays and more. One tropical reef exhibit will hold nearly 20,000 gallons of water; only the four biggest permanent displays at the aquarium are larger.

With their enigmatic nature and fearsome appearance, sharks and rays figure prominently in human mythology. They�re revered as spirits, honored as ancestors, admired for their heroic size and power, and feared because of their mysterious ways and their ability to attack without warning.

�People across cultures are captivated by sharks and rays, and they express their fascination in many different ways,� Ferguson said. �Sharks is a perfect match for the aquarium, because we emphasize human connections to the ocean, and we focus on positive features when telling the animals� stories.�

Visitors will wind through seven galleries, each rich with music, stories or art, each exploring a different cultural perspective on sharks and rays. The Pacific Islands gallery will feature a contemporary hula interpretation of a shark legend, while the Africa gallery will house headdresses from an initiation dance performed by young men costumed as hammerhead sharks. In the Amazon gallery, sounds and visual effects will enhance the telling of the Amazonian legend of �Mother Stingray,� a fierce river spirit who punishes fishermen who kill freshwater rays out of spite by capsizing their canoes or tearing their fishing nets.

The Australia gallery will display Aboriginal bark paintings of sharks and rays�the artwork of a people who believe shark spirits helped create Earth. The Pacific Northwest gallery will feature masks and costumes of the Haida people, for whom sharks are a powerful totem.

The ancient Maya displayed their admiration for sharks and rays by carving their images on stone temples and monuments. Visitors to the Central America gallery will see re-creations of an ancient Maya ruin where they can pop up and view stingrays swimming overhead. Nearby, contemporary fabric molas crafted by the Kuna people will depict stories about the Kuna�s long history with sharks and rays.

In the Western Myths and Legends gallery, visitors will experience shark tales from the sublime to the silly: New Yorker cartoons, a chilling legend about shark attacks on the crew of the USS Indianapolis (as famously retold in the movie Jaws)�even a Saturday Night Live �Landshark� skit.

Immersive displays will put visitors into habitats around the world, from colorful coral reefs with circling sharks and reef fishes to an Amazonian river full of freshwater rays.

�We�ll have an incredible diversity of sharks and rays in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors,� said Senior Aquarist Manny Ezcurra.

Other highlights include a shark and ray touch pool; a family activity room where visitors can make shark crafts; and spaces to try on tribal shark masks or make take-home rubbings of carved shark images. Live presenters will share other cultural myths about sharks and rays, information on new threats facing sharks, and ways to protect these magnificent animals for future generations.

Sharks: Myth and Mystery is included with regular aquarium admission of $19.95 adult; $17.95 senior (65 and over); $15.95 student (13-17 or with college ID); and $8.95 child (3-12) and disabled. (Rates are for 2004.)

The aquarium, which debuted on October 20, 1984, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (summer and holidays: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed December 25). For tickets and information, in English or Spanish, call (831) 648-4888, or visit www.montereybayaquarium.org.

The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the oceans.

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Media Contact: Ken Peterson 831-648-4922 kpeterson@mbayaq.org