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Each robotic whale shark may cost millions of yuan, though the amount is way less than the expenses required to maintain a living shark.
A robotic whale shark was unveiled at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park in 2022. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
A tourist aquarium in China has reportedly faced backlash for showcasing a robotic whale shark instead of a real one. Several videos were uploaded on social media where a life-size artificial whale shark could be spotted gliding through the blue water at the Xiaomeisha Sea World in Shenzhen. The aquarium has attracted massive crowds since it was reopened in October. Many tourists who visited the place to see a real whale shark were left heartbroken after encountering the robotic creature. Some people, however, loved the innovative approach and hailed the aquarium authority for the whale’s realistic design.
Each ticket for the Xiaomeisha Sea World reportedly costs 230 yuan ( nearly Rs 2680). A large number of tourists who visited the aquarium in recent times have reportedly sought a refund of the entry fee. They shared their grievances on the aquarium’s page on Dazhong Dianping, a review service operated by Meituan, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
One such individual wrote on the platform, “I cannot believe the whale shark is fake. It’s outrageous to charge over 200 yuan for a ticket,” as per the Chinese outlet. Another person threatened to have the place “shut down”, referring to the robotic whale.
On the contrary, a tourist showed a thumbs-up to the aquarium authority for the unique idea. “It’s a wonderful alternative to showcase large marine creatures without imprisoning them in a tank. Rather than obscuring the whale shark’s true identity from visitors, the aquarium should embrace this opportunity to educate the public on the importance of animal protection,” he wrote (via SCMP).
The Xiaomeisha Sea World is not the first Chinese aquarium to have a robotic whale shark. A similar thing was unveiled at the Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park in 2022, according to the National Business Daily. These artificial creatures have been specially designed to imitate the movement of real whale sharks.
Each robotic whale shark may cost millions of yuan. This amount, however, is way less than the expenses required to maintain a living shark. To keep the largest fish, an aquarium authority may need more than 100 million yuan (almost 14 million dollars). Though whale sharks have a lifespan of 80-130 years in seawater, in an aquarium, they can’t survive more than five years.
