Starting this Saturday, Nov. 26, Santa Claus will be wedging into his scuba suit and joining our volunteer dive team to swim among The Maritime Aquarium’s sharks.
Santa Claus will be putting on scuba gear, checking it twice, during the holiday season to help The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk demonstrate that sharks are not naughty, but nice.
Santa and friends (Maritime Aquarium photo)
Twice each day on Sat., Nov. 26 and Sun., Nov. 27 – and then most Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays in December – Santa will wedge into his custom red-and-white scuba gear and enter the Aquarium’s 110,000-gallon “Ocean Beyond the Sound” exhibit, which is home to 7-foot sand tiger and lemon sharks.
____________
— an announcement from the Maritime Aquarium
____________
Santa’s shark dives are all part of The Maritime Aquarium’s regular dive program, intended to demonstrate that sharks aren’t the bloodthirsty killers of myth. On Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 12:15 & 2:15 p.m., visitors to the popular Connecticut family attraction can see – and talk with – divers swimming with the sharks (and with Santa).
Santa exercises under water to prepare for chimney diving (Maritime Aquarium photo)
Workload permitting, Santa is expected to participate in each dive in December. (There are no dives on Christmas Day.) Watch the Maritime Aquarium’s website to confirm dates when Santa can pull himself away from the North Pole and exchange his snow boots for swim fins.
Bring your camera because Santa is always happy to swim over and get close to the exhibit window to pose for a very unique picture with kids.
See Santa wet, see Santa dry (Maritime Aquarium photo)
As a bonus during these visits from the North Pole, Santa Claus also will dry off and meet with youngsters on the weekends of Dec. 10-11 and 17-18. (Each day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., except during his dive times.)
Guests will find him in The Maritime Aquarium’s Toy-Boat Workshop, where he’ll be helping with toy construction (of course), accepting children’s Christmas lists and posing for photos.
All of Santa’s appearances — wet and dry — are free with Aquarium admission.