Monterey Bay Aquarium: Exhibits – Sharks: Western Myths Gallery

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Monterey Bay Aquarium
886 Cannery Row
Monterey, California 93940
Driving & Parking Directions

Regular Hours
10 a.m.–6 p.m. Daily
Closed Dec. 25

Summer (May 26–Sept. 1)
9:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

Summer Weekends
(July 5–Sept. 1) Sat. & Sun.
9:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

Holidays
9:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

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Western Myths: Mixed feelings shape our shark myths

Terror, loathing, admiration—sharks and rays arouse very mixed feelings. And our feelings shape the stories we tell about these animals.

Stories of shark attacks have spawned generations of terror-filled legends. What's your worst nightmare or most terrifying tale about sharks?	Like people everywhere, people in Western cultures express their myths through the media of their time—from fine art to box office hits.

From clever cartoons to comical TV skits, popular media pokes fun at sharks. Are sharks like us—or are we the ones who sometimes act like sharks?	Fortunately, more and more Westerners are beginning to respect these ancient fish as they do the great whales—as majestic creatures of the sea.

Shark School of Art
Check out our tips for drawing shark cartoons! Then create a comic strip that illustrates the need for shark conservation and we'll post it on our web site!

Color a Sea of Sharks
Sharks belong to one of the most ancient groups of fishes on earth. This wonderful coloring page by Ray Troll from his book Sharkabet shows a world of living and extinct sharks.

More Shark Activities

We're studying white sharks at sea
In 2002, the aquarium launched a multi-year study in Southern California waters to capture, tag and track young white sharks. The more we learn about their biology and migration patterns, the better we can protect them for the future.

You can help
One of the best ways you can help white sharks is by joining the aquarium or supporting our shark research. With your help, we'll create a safer future for these amazing animals.

More about our White Shark Research

More ways you can help save sharks

Join or Donate Online

Western Myths

Inspiring conservation of the oceans