Kiddin' Around: Summer of the Shark at Adventure Aquarium
Camden site turns a week into a season, with worlds largest collection of sharks, lotsa learning.
The long: Mary Lee and her fellow lamniformes are having a moment. Shark-packed Adventure Aquarium's turning that moment into a fin-friendly season, with chances to learn the truth behind the jawing.
The short: Outdoes the Discovery Channel.
The demo: Ages 2 and up.
The deal: The aquarium's big, stinky hippos are hilarious; the graceful baby rays irresistibly touchable. But let's face it: coolest of all is the 550,000-gallon Shark Realm's blue-lit glass tube that surrounds you with the country's largest collection of sand tiger, sandbar and nurse sharks.
The standout: This is the only place in the U.S. to see a great hammerhead.
Every day: Experts dive into the Realm, do a show and answer questions.
Go early: Be first to the info desk and you could score a coveted reservation to feed the sharks (with help, of course) for $10.
Gull's eye view: Go the week of July 20 or Aug. 10 and see the Shark Realm from above, inside the Shark Shack.
Shore sense: If you spot a sand tiger at the beach, leave it alone. Don't poke, prod or play. The ocean is the shark's house, after all.
If you train: River Line stops right across from site, $1.50 a ticket; NJ Transit bus or rail-pass holders ride free.
If you boat: Roundtrip across the Delaware River via the RiverLink Ferry (from Walnut Street), $7, free under 4.
If you drive: Parking lot is $10 per car for aquarium guests.
The basics: Adventure Aquarium, 1 Riverside Dr., Camden, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, $25.95, $18.95 ages 2-12, free under 2, 856-365-3300, adventureaquarium.com.