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YOUR CHANCE TO OBSERVE NEWBORN SHARKS AND RAYS
Paradise Island’s Estuary Lagoon serves as transitional home for many immature Atlantis marine specimens. A secure shallow-water nursery environment where Southern stingrays Dasyatis Americana and Bonnethead sharks Sphyrna tiburo are spend their early years in safety. For guests of the resort – especially younger ones – it’s a unique educational opportunity and a chance to observe these species as newborns. Access to all Atlantis marine habitats and Aquaventure Waterpark are FREE for guests staying at the resort. Passes may be purchased by day visitors, but availability is limited – and may be closed – during periods of high resort occupancy.
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MARINE LIFE IN RESIDENCE
Southern Stingrays, Red Mangroves, Bonnethead Sharks, Starfish.
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Estuaries
When freshwater flows from streams and rivers into seawater, an estuary is formed. Many different habitats are found in and around estuaries, including marshes, sandy beaches, rocky shores, mangrove forests, tidal pools, and sea grasses. These brackish waterways provide nesting grounds for birds and nursery areas for fish and sharks as well as a wide variety of invertebrates, such as shrimp, lobsters, and crabs.
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Shark Pups Born at Atlantis
Atlantis has one of the most successful shark breeding programs in the world, having had more than five species of sharks reproduce here. Sharks have no parental care, so just after birth the pups are moved from the large marine habitat to this nursery lagoon. This enables us to closely monitor the pups’ health and growth.
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Stingrays Born at Atlantis
Stingray pups develop inside the mother, first feeding off a yolk sac for nutrition. When the yolk is consumed, the young feed on uterine milk. The mother gives birth to an average of four pups that actively swim when born. The pups range from 8 to 14 inches in length and weigh from 0.5 to 2.5 pounds at birth.
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