The safest way to get up close with sharks
10 December 2025 - 27 April 2026
Region(s): Auckland
Type(s): exhibitions
Go beyond the bite and see sharks like never before. Discover the surprising side of these ocean predators in this life-sized family-friendly exhibition.
Blending traditional knowledge, cutting-edge science, and hands-on discovery, explore how these ancient fishes have evolved over 450 million years and the vital role they play in our ocean ecosystems today.
Created by the Australian Museum, Sharks takes you beneath the surface to uncover the diversity, biology, and cultural significance of one of the most extraordinary – yet often misunderstood – creatures. Through expert insights, personal stories, and interactive design, you’ll see sharks in a whole new light.
Step inside a specially designed digital oceanarium, come face-to-fin with striking scientifically accurate life-sized models, and get hands-on with touchable fossils and teeth. Discover why sharks are essential to healthy oceans, the challenges they face, and how we can all play a part in protecting them.
Revered. Feared. Misunderstood? You decide.
Location: Auckland Museum, Auckland Domain, Parnell, Auckland
Find out more and get tickets here: www.aucklandmuseum.com/visit/exhibitions/sharks.
Teachers sign up for the PLD session Hook, Line and Thinker: Reeling students in with sharks on 20 January.
Related content
Discover more about research that has found that the long lifespans and slow reproduction rates of deep-water sharks and rays mean that these species are as vulnerable to overexploitation as whales once were.
Learn more about the work one teacher did supporting NIWA as part of the Fish-Bol project, an international effort to collect DNA barcodes for all fish species:
Useful link
Read more about the exhibition in this RNZ article: www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/581264/the-safest-way-to-get-up-close-with-sharks.
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