Last year we brought you sharks.  This year you can touch them. 

Now you can enjoy the most unique experience of its kind in the region – Newport Aquarium’s new Shark Central exhibit. It’s home to a field research facility and dozens of sharks you can actually touch. You’ll learn the official “two-finger touch” technique and how to properly pet them. It’s safe. It’s thrilling. It’s an experience your kids will never forget.

In the nearly 5,000-gallon touch tank, you can meet a Port Jackson shark, whose nose resembles a pig’s snout; the lesser sandshark, whose body has a flat arrowhead shape; and also the pajama catshark, a nocturnal shark that has been known to curl up in a ball on the ocean floor when it is disturbed.

Experience first-hand how it feels to touch these magnificent creatures and you’ll leave with a memorable experience and a new perspective on these commonly misunderstood animals.