Shark Viewing Attendance Is Up At The Living Planet Aquarium

By Angie Hyde 

Sandy, UT - While reduced foot traffic seems to be the norm these days at most businesses, The Living Planet Aquarium is an exception. The number of daily visitors has nearly doubled recently, which has created the need to hire several additional staff. Since the launch of the new Journey to South America exhibit on February 28th, The Living Planet is seeing record breaking attendance numbers, (with an increase of 88% versus the same ten day period in 2008. This is reflected in an average daily attendance of 1,400 people; almost two times last year’s attendance!

Utah’s only aquarium, located on 10600 south and 700 east in Sandy, The Living Planet brings animals to people who might not have the chance to see them or their water-based ecosystems in a natural setting. Because Utah is not surrounded by oceans and immense water habitats, Utahans have fewer opportunities to experience, understand and appreciate the water environments that cover more than 70 percent of our planet.

In 2004, The Living Planet Aquarium began as a 10,000 square-foot preview exhibit located at the north end of The Gateway Mall in downtown Salt Lake City. Within 2 years, it quickly outgrew the space and moved into the current 43,000 square-foot space located in Sandy.

Annual attendance has increased from 150,000 in 2004 to nearly 250,000 today.  With the addition of the major new exhibit, aquarium officials anticipate attendance to continue to grow. “Our biggest challenge in regards to the attendance increase is hiring additional staff to handle the crowds, and the extra wear and tear on the facility from all those visitors. Especially in this economy, those are great problems to have.” Said CEO, Brent Andersen.

The most recent exhibit to open is Journey to South America, a 7,000 square foot expansion of an aquatic-themed rain forest complete with South American species such as caimans, piranhas, Amazon giants, an electric eel, an anaconda and many more. The Living Planet’s staff and its visitors can be assured they still have plenty more to look forward to as funds are now being raised to welcome penguins as the next new exhibit. Thanks to ongoing support from the community, the exhibits at The Living Planet continue to grow and an even larger aquarium will be built in the future.

 The Living Planet Mission Statement
The Living Planet Aquarium is dedicated to celebrating life on Earth by fostering a greater awareness and knowledge of Earth’s diverse ecosystems and creating a deeper understanding of our place in the global system of life.

Visit www.thelivingplanet.com or call 801-355-FISH (3474) for more information about the exhibits, aquarium hours of operation and membership, tickets and prices.