“Lady, look! I brought a butterfly!”
I looked up from my computer to find a little girl, dressed in a pink-and-purple princess fairy costume with matching tiara and costume jewellery, waving a large blue plastic shark at me.
“This shark is called Butterfly and I brought him to visit you today!” Butterfly belongs to one of our Solemate member children who adores sharks, so she brought him along to meet the Aquarium’s resident ragged-tooth sharks. This led me to thinking: what is it about sharks that fascinates this child so much?
While all children love our play areas and the Nemo display (and many adults enjoy these too!), research and feedback we receive is that boys tend to be attracted to the sharks, spider crabs and touch pool, while girls enjoy the Indian Ocean Display, penguins and the frog puppet show.
Why are children attracted to these animals? Is it the fluid swimming motion of the fish (or hop in the case of frogs and penguins)? Is it the way the fish dart about, showing off their vivid colours? Is it the shimmer and sparkle of the sunlight in the water? Do the children sing along to the songs at the puppet show? Is it the sometimes intimidating way the sharks look at you through the display windows? When they watch the penguins, do these children imagine themselves as adults feeding and caring for animals?
Just what is it about aquariums that mesmerises so? Why do people come back, time and time again?
I’ve worked at the Two Oceans Aquarium for 17 years and each day I experience a new wonder. I started working as a “behind the scenes” volunteer before becoming one of the “front of house” staff, and then moved on to the marketing department.
Being part of the Membership team means I interact with the many Solemate members who visit regularly and attend our members’ events on a monthly basis, whether a family sleepover, yacht trip or behind-the-scenes tour.
I am privileged to work in this awe-inspiring environment, sharing my time with our many dedicated and remarkable staff members.
I’ve seen baby seahorses being born, had octopi clinging to my arms in Quarantine as I tried feeding them, watched giant stingrays gracing the window of the I&J Predator Exhibit, assisted the aquarists in moving new sharks into the Aquarium, been part of creative and fun promotions we offer, walked with the rockhopper penguins on their daily walk through the Aquarium … Every day here is full of amazement, and I am hard-pressed to name my favourite experience.
I see so many children daily and often ask them what their favourite animal is, but haven’t really been able to pin down why they have their favourites. I therefore had to ask this little girl ... and her simple answer: “I think they are cool!”
