Glasgow families given chance to feed sharks at…

Glasgow families given chance to feed sharks at Sealife Centre this summer

With people across the UK voting sharks as the scariest sea creature, one popular centre near Glasgow is giving families the chance to feed these misunderstood animals this summer.

More than half of the nation (52%) admit to fearing sharks the most out of all ocean-dwelling creatures, ranking them above jellyfish (20%), giant squid (11%) and stingrays (5%) when it comes to fear-factor.

Despite so many of us having a fear of sharks, experts at Sea Life point out that they are misunderstood creatures who are not driven by blood lust like the movies depict.

Visitors can get a real insight on sharks at Sea Life Loch Lomond and even feed some of the majestic creatures, including black tip, white tip and bonnethead sharks – you can book via the website.

As well as Sea Life offering unmissable first-hand experiences and education about sharks, it is also coordinating the European Black Tip Reef Shark breeding programme.

At the other end of the scale, Brits have voted otters the cutest aquatic animal, with almost half (44%) ranking them above seals (26%), turtles (16%), octopuses (2.8%) and other sea creatures based on cuteness.

Despite this, only three in five Brits (63%) have ever seen an otter in real life – but Brits can get their fix of furry cuteness at Sea Life Loch Lomond, which is home to three Asian short-clawed otters.

The adorable trio, named Lily, Pickle and Cub, are a firm favourite with both visitors and staff at the centre.

You can also see cute animals like otters (Sea Life)

Like the rest of their species, they are social and playful by nature, spending most of the day on land with their family, playing, grooming, resting, and sleeping.

Visitors can also listen out for their voices, as they can make at least 12 different sounds to communicate, including alarm, greeting, and mating calls.

General Manager at Sea Life Loch Lomond, Kathryn Adam, said: “It’s no surprise that otters have topped the cuteness chart for aquatic animals, with our very own Asian short-clawed otters Lily, Pickle and Cub definitely living up to the reputation of their species.

“It is a massive shame, however, that so many Brits have never seen an otter in the flesh and so we encourage people to come down to the site to visit these adorable creatures.

“Here at SEA LIFE Loch Lomond we are also passionate about changing the negative perception of sharks, working towards conservation efforts and helping visitors learn more about the misunderstood species, which is why we offer VIP shark experiences, so our guests can get up close and personal with the jaw-some creatures.

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