Sharks and Rays - Disney Animals

Come marvel at these fantastic fish at the massive aquarium of The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Epcot. You’ll find sand tiger sharks, blacknose sharks, spotted eagle rays and many other species of sharks and rays.

Feeling adventurous? Take the plunge and scuba dive alongside sharks and rays—and thousands more species—as part of the Epcot Seas Adventures – DiveQuest experience. Or, explore the same waters as you snorkel with the Epcot Seas Adventures – Aqua Tour.

Sharks and Rays in the Wild
There are over 1,200 species of sharks and rays. Most ray species and some sharks prefer warm, shallow waters and coral reefs. Other sharks inhabit the open oceans or prefer to prowl the ocean floor. Some sharks and rays can even thrive in both freshwater and seawater. As predators, sharks and rays play an important role in the environment. Most shark species are opportunistic feeders, preying on sick and injured animals—which helps keep the ocean healthy!

The massive saltwater habitat at The Seas with Nemo & Friends offers a dynamic and complex underwater home to our fish friends.

A Rich Underwater Habitat
The 5.7 million gallon (21.6 million liter) shark and ray habitat at The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Epcot is constantly changing, which creates opportunities for all of our marine animals to explore their surroundings. The Disney-made coral reef provides a darker, protected area in which to swim, hide and breed.

Friends, Not Food
Our animal care experts train sharks and rays to feed at certain spots to allow us to regularly inspect the animals and ensure each one is healthy. Training also helps us maintain individualized diets. A single bright light shines into the water as a cue for the sharks to swim toward the surface in one particular location to be fed a balanced diet of high-quality salmon steaks, bonita filets, mackerel and herring.

The rays enjoy a more intimate dining experience; our divers have trained the rays to touch their snout to a specific underwater target, and when they do, they are rewarded with clams, shrimp and small pieces of fish.

The Walt Disney Company is passionately committed to the protection of sharks, rays and their natural habitats.

Threats to Sharks and Rays
Humans kill sharks and rays intentionally for their fins and meat, and accidentally when they get caught by commercial fisheries targeting other fish. Globally, sharks and rays are also threatened by habitat loss, ocean pollution and climate change.

Overfishing
Global decline in traditional fisheries has increased demand for shark meat and products, resulting in an expansion of industrial fishing across all of the world’s oceans. Rays, too, are being actively harvested and are commonly found as substitutes for fish in many markets.

Shark Finning and Other Threats
Shark finning, a particularly wasteful practice, is the practice of cutting fins from the shark and discarding the rest of the shark. The fins are used to make shark fin soup, considered a delicacy in some countries, which can sell for as much as $150 per bowl. Similarly, rays are intentionally hunted to create imitation scallops and are also used in tools and jewelry.

Supporting Shark Conservation
The Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) is helping to reverse the decline of the most endangered sharks and rays by promoting their protection and recovery.

Support from the DCF has helped nonprofit organizations increase awareness, protect critical habitats and ensure that fisheries, trade and demand for sharks and rays shift from overexploitation to sustainability.