Just moving from one home or apartment to another is a tedious thought for most of us. Think about how hard moving a whole aquarium is! The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium is moving approximately 5000 animals to a new 24 million dollar facility, which was funded by donors, grants, corporate sponsors, and financing, that will hold over 500,000 million gallons of water (information gathered from the Aquarium’s website).

The new 136,000-square-foot facility in Draper is scheduled to open March 25, 2014.  This  move will be no easy feat. The director of husbandry at the aquarium, Deana Walz, is in charge of facilitating the move and ensuring the health and safety of all the animals. The sharks will be moving from their current 15,000 gallon tank to the new facility’s shark tank, which holds 300,000 gallons and features a 40-foot-long walk through tunnel. The staff at the aquarium are preparing for the big day by practicing moving smaller fish, to make sure everything will be in order. The sharks are lifted from their current tank using what looks like a mesh hammock. Divers and spotters aid in the move. The sharks are then placed into a tank located inside a moving truck where they are taken to the new aquarium. Once they have safely arrived at the new facility, they are taken from the truck and placed into the new aquarium.

Source: The Salt Lake Tribune by Scott D. Pierce