The final piece of the puzzle arrived at Orange Beach Elementary on Monday morning, as workers delivered a 5,600-gallon shark tank, that will be a centerpiece exhibit of the Sea, Sand and Stars Learning Center. Installation of the saltwater aquarium, slated to feature bonnethead and nurse sharks, coral and aquatic plants, will take about two weeks said Sea, Sand and Stars Director Lisa Allen. Once that's completed, the final touches can be put on the interior of the 7,700 square-foot building in hopes of opening by Labor Day in September.
"That tank is going to be a lot of fun," Allen Said. The tank, which students will view from a second-story observation deck, will tower approximately 10 feet in the air and will be the centerpiece of the large area that visitors will see when they walk through the nature center's front doors. Another aquarium, although much smaller, will arrive later this summer. In all, the shark aquarium cost about $182,000 which includes a backup generator to keep the sharks and coral alive when power is down, needed in case of a hurricane.
