Shark Cam – Watch Sharks at Aquarium of the Pacific

The Shark Cam looks into Shark Lagoon at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, an outdoor exhibit on the edge of Rainbow Harbor. The camera sits at an underwater viewing window, so the frame fills with pale sand and whatever swims past it: a zebra shark settled on the bottom, a blacktip reef shark crossing the glass, a ray sweeping along the floor. Because the lagoon is open to the sky, the water changes color through the day, grey and flat under a morning marine layer, bright turquoise once the sun is high. Feeding times bring the most movement. Exhibit lighting goes off after the aquarium closes, so this is a daytime view.

About Shark Lagoon at the Aquarium of the Pacific

Shark Lagoon is a 10,000 square foot (930 square meter) outdoor exhibit at the southern end of the Aquarium of the Pacific, which opened on June 20, 1998 on a 6 acre (2.4 hectare) site at Rainbow Harbor in downtown Long Beach. The aquarium keeps more than 12,000 animals in tanks ranging from 5,000 US gallons (19,000 liters) to 350,000 US gallons (1,300,000 liters). It is a nonprofit institution accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and it recorded 1.7 million visitors in 2018.

The exhibit is built in two halves. Three shallow touch pools hold bamboo sharks and rays that visitors are allowed to reach in and touch. Beside them sits the larger, deeper shark exhibit, and that is the one the Shark Cam watches, through a window set below the waterline. Zebra sharks are the easiest animals to pick out: they are born with stripes and grow into the spotted pattern that adults carry. Blacktip reef sharks are the quicker outlines, named for the dark markings on their dorsal and tail fins.

The area around the water does a lot of work for a 10,000 square foot space. An amphitheater hosts daily shark presentations and feedings, an outdoor cafe and the Pacific Treasures gift store sit at the edge, and a water squirting squid sculpture doubles as a playground. The aquarium’s lorikeet aviary is next door, which makes this corner of the site one of the busier ones between opening and closing.

Weather and Climate in Long Beach

Long Beach has a hot summer Mediterranean climate, dry for most of the year and mild at both ends of it. August is the warmest month, averaging a high of 28.4 C (83.2 F) and a low of 18.6 C (65.5 F), with July just behind at 27.4 C (81.4 F). January is the coolest, and it still reaches 19.7 C (67.4 F) by day before dropping to about 8.3 C (46.9 F) at night. Rainfall totals 305 millimeters (12.02 inches) a year, and around 81 percent of it falls between December and March.

That pattern shows up in the water, because Shark Lagoon has no roof. Summer mornings often begin under the marine layer, a sheet of low cloud that forms overnight and sits over the harbor until it breaks up in the early afternoon, and the exhibit reads grey and shadowless while it holds. Once the sun climbs, the sand throws light back up onto the animals and the color in the frame changes completely. Winter rain does the same thing for a few hours at a time. Midday in California is the reliable window.

Things to Do Near the Aquarium of the Pacific

The aquarium anchors the Rainbow Harbor waterfront, and most of what is worth a detour sits within walking distance. Shoreline Village, a boardwalk of shops and seafood restaurants, curves around the marina just east of the entrance. The Pike Outlets are a short walk inland, next to the waterfront Ferris wheel. Whale watching boats leave from the docks beside the aquarium, running for gray whales through the winter and blue whales in summer.

Across the water, the Queen Mary is moored permanently on the far side of Long Beach Harbor. The Cunard liner sailed from 1936 to 1967 and now works as a hotel, and its three funnels are the landmark on the skyline behind the aquarium. Beyond the immediate waterfront, Belmont Shore and the canals at Naples make for a quieter afternoon, and the beach path runs east along the shoreline from the harbor.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More cameras pointed at water and the animals in it, starting with the exhibit next door.

• Aquarium of the Pacific Webcam
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Webcam
• Vancouver Aquarium Webcam
• Lower Florida Keys Underwater Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Shark Cam located?

The camera is at Shark Lagoon, an outdoor exhibit at the Aquarium of the Pacific on Aquarium Way, Long Beach, California. The aquarium sits on Rainbow Harbor on the downtown waterfront, about 33 kilometers (20 miles) south of central Los Angeles.

What can you see on the Shark Cam?

The camera looks through an underwater window into the main shark exhibit at Shark Lagoon. Zebra sharks, blacktip reef sharks and rays pass across a pale sand bottom. Activity picks up around the daily feeding and presentation times.

What kinds of sharks live in Shark Lagoon?

The large exhibit holds species including zebra sharks and blacktip reef sharks. The three shallow touch pools alongside it hold bamboo sharks and rays, which are small enough for visitors to touch.

Can you touch the sharks at the Aquarium of the Pacific?

Yes. Shark Lagoon has three shallow touch pools where visitors can reach in and touch bamboo sharks and rays. The larger sharks in the deep exhibit are seen through the viewing window only.

What time of day is best to watch the Shark Cam?

Late morning to mid afternoon Pacific Time. Shark Lagoon is open to the sky, so the picture is brightest once the summer marine layer has cleared and the sun is high over the exhibit.

Is the Shark Cam live at night?

The stream runs continuously, but exhibit lighting goes off after the aquarium closes for the day, so the picture is dark outside opening hours. Long Beach is on Pacific Time, eight hours behind UTC in winter and seven hours behind during daylight saving.

What is the weather like in Long Beach, California?

Long Beach has a hot summer Mediterranean climate. August highs average 28.4 C (83.2 F) and January highs 19.7 C (67.4 F), with 305 millimeters (12.02 inches) of rain a year, most of it falling between December and March.

When did the Aquarium of the Pacific open?

It opened on June 20, 1998 on a 6 acre (2.4 hectare) site at Rainbow Harbor. It now keeps more than 12,000 animals and recorded 1.7 million visitors in 2018.

Source: Explore.org