FAIRLEA W.Va. (WVDN) – Fairgoers may not have expected to see sharks swimming around at the State Fair of West Virginia, but many saw just that. Near gate 4 was a specially designed aquatic display housing two adult nurse sharks, ages 10 and 12. The crowd quickly pours in as everyone tries to catch an early glimpse through the glass of the large aquarium. Because nurse sharks are typically bottom dwellers, they remain mostly docile until enticed. As showtime draws closer, the intense music from the “JAWS” film franchise begins to play through the speakers. As the stars of the show begin to stir, host Felipe Velarde emerges in a wet suit to educate the crowd on the two opportunistic predators waiting to welcome him into their enclosure.
To start the show, Velarde invites one of the audience’s youngest (and bravest) members to demonstrate how secure the glass enclosure is in an effort to reassure audience members that it will not break during the show. As the young spectator carefully climbs the stepladder to tap the glass with her hand verifying its strength, a small leak seems to develop the moment her hand makes contact with the glass. With a spray of water coming from the tank, the youngster quickly tries to cover it with her hand. As the audience realizes this is all in good fun, Velarde runs for the duct tape to seal the leak so that the show can resume. With smiles all around, the child returns to her seat with applause from the crowd.
During a brief introduction to the sharks, Velarde explains that Rosita, the 10-year-old, was rescued from Mexico after a failed attempt to keep her in a bathtub. As this particular species can grow up to 12 feet in length, he explains the many reasons why this was an unsuitable environment. Abby, who is 12, was rescued from an aquarium in Florida from which she outgrew her tank.
Before diving into the shark’s enclosure, Velarde explains that nurse sharks are thought to have been named due to the fact that they make a sucking sound when they eat, which some say mimics the sound of a nursing baby. In an attempt to recreate this sound for the audience, he feeds the sharks before entering the enclosure. Velarde then explains that sharks have a sense of smell so highly advanced that they can detect a single drop of blood in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Once underwater with the sharks, Velarde is able to communicate with the audience via his underwater microphone. At one point, he demonstrates tonic immobility, which is a natural state of paralysis used to subdue the shark. To induce tonic immobility, Velarde gently rolls the shark over on its back for a short period of time as it becomes completely still. At this point, the underwater marvel enters into a trance-like state of relaxation until it is rotated again and then released, at which time the shark swims away unaffected.
In closing the show, Velarde climbs out of the tank and rejoins the audience. With his own obvious admiration for these often misunderstood creatures, he reassures the crowd. “As you guys can see, sharks aren’t so bad after all,” he says. The show captivated audience members of all ages. From the young children sitting in the grass as if to make their own front row seats to the filled bleachers and beyond where there was standing room only, it’s obvious that you don’t have to live near the coast to appreciate one of the sea’s most remarkable creatures.
