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Visitors also get an excellent view of the large turtle tank from the restaurant of the MEERESMUSEUM.

German Oceanographic Museum, Foundation German Oceanographic Museum

German Oceanographic Museum, Foundation German Oceanographic Museum
Stralsund, Germany

Long-distance swimmers in the turtle tank

The five turtles in the MEERESMUSEUM are already imposing creatures. That these impressive animals already regard themselves as the undisputed bosses in their tank is not surprising given their size and mass. Although they maintain a close relationship with their keepers, when they get into the water in the Giant Aquarium, the turtles are not as tolerant of other room mates. That is why the Blacktip reef sharks have been selected as aquarium dwellers since 2005. These are tireless long-distance swimmers who can easily stay out of the way of the curious and sometimes envious reptiles.

Other sharks, which would like to take a rest break every now and then on the bottom, would not have it so easy in the turtle tank. The experiences can be summed up as "anything that lies on the bottom will get nibbled on". And such a powerful turtle beak can really hurt or even cause serious injury. That is why the aquarists have opted for the tireless reef sharks as a room mate. Very much for the pleasure of visitors, because the three reef inhabitants – two males and a female and each more than a meter long – do not have to fear the competition with turtles in the beauty stakes.

This is especially evident at show feedings. Trained to take delicious fillets of fish or squid in front of the large panoramic windows, these predators sometimes show flashes of their strength and their hunting instinct – a fascinating sight.

Details

  • Title: Visitors also get an excellent view of the large turtle tank from the restaurant of the MEERESMUSEUM.
  • Physical Location: Deutsches Meeresmuseum, Stiftung Deutsches Meeresmuseum
  • Rights: photo: Johannes-Maria Schlorke

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