ORLANDO, Fla. — SeaWorld Orlando is home to a variety of shark species, and the park is using Shark Awareness Day to dispel common and often harmful myths about the marine animals.

​​​Spectrum News along with other members of the media were given a behind-the-scenes look at the different ways visitors can learn about sharks, including at SeaWorld’s shark exhibit.

Inside the park’s Shark Encounter, visitors will find a 700,000-gallon aquarium filled with fish, including five different shark species — nurse sharks, zebra sharks, whitecap sharks, sand-tiger sharks and saw sharks. The exhibit also includes an underwater viewing tunnel, giving visitors a closer look at the sharks.

Shark Encounter also includes displays where visitors can learn different facts about sharks, including their habitats, behaviors and reproduction. Visitors can also view actual shark eggs that are ready to hatch.

One of the most surprising things visitors might learn is that sharks aren’t the blood-thirsty creatures they are often portrayed to be. In fact, sharks are vital to the ocean ecosystem. They often hunt for sick and dying fish, helping to prevent the spread of disease and keeping the ocean clean.

“The real danger here is not for us to be afraid of sharks but for sharks to be concerned about us,” said Jim Kinsler, SeaWorld aquarium curator.

About 100 million sharks are killed by people every year in the wild, according to SeaWorld. Much of that is due to overfishing of sharks, with the animals being killed for their fins.

Kinsler and others at SeaWorld spend their days not only bringing awareness about sharks but also taking care of the animals currently at the facility.

During the behind the scenes tour, we were taken to the top of the tank, in a backstage area rarely seen by visitors. Trainers demonstrated what it takes to care for the hundreds of sharks at SeaWorld. Part of that care includes feedings, which take place twice a week. A pole device is used to feed the sharks so that the animals don’t associate trainers with with food.

Another aspect of care includes cleaning and inspecting the habitat.  While in the water, divers also assess the sharks.  

“They can check out every individual, make sure they’re swimming normally, behaving normally,” Kinsler said.

The tour also included a backstage moment that involved touching one of the park’s smaller species of sharks.

SeaWorld’s Behind the Scenes Shark Tour is available to the public beyond Shark Awareness Day. 

Also, Sharks Underwater Grill is another way for visitors to see sharks at the park. The restaurant offers views of the aquarium, giving visitors the feeling they are dining underwater.