- May 30, 2025
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Luke Claassen, 3, with brother Noah, 6
Mandy Wrobel, Senior Public Program Coordinator for Mote, goofs around during a Mommy and Me session.
Olivia Jackson, 2
Adrianna Sommer, 7 gets her face painted during the Fins and Fun Family Festival by Akiko the face painter.
Hayden Hall, 3, and Brendan Morrison, 2 and sister Katelyn, 16 months
Twins Hannah and Grace Karsten, 3
Fiona Zemler, 2 with brother Timothy, 5
Mandy Wrobel, Senior Public Program Coordinator for Mote, leads a Mommy and Me session.
The Gummy Sharks perform at Mote’ Fins and Fun Family Festival on Aug. 20.
Remi Lang, 2
Xuan Dancigers, with sons Leo, 1, and Max 3, and husband Mark.
Jack Venesky, 8, with brother, Alex, 3
Event guests enjoyed performances by the Gummy Sharks as well as educational booths to learn more about sharks.
Tables were set up around Mote to teach guests more about the shark species.
Mila Harvey, 4, with her mom, Trisha
Lydia Myer, 2, cuts out an art project with her mom, Karissa.
Lilliana James, 4 enjoys the Gummy Sharks performance with her dad, Michael.
Adam Seevers with daughter Ryleigh, 17 months, and wife, Jackie
Lisa Pirowski, Liam Skelly, 2, and Ashlee Sole
The Fins and Fun Family Festival was the celebratory conclusion to Mote’s annual Shark Days.
Tables were set up around Mote to teach guests more about the shark species.
Ansley, 4, and Averi Johnson, 7 touch different sea urchins in the touch pool.
Chelsea Chana and daughter Emily, 1
Lukas Menard, 5, and dad, Kamal
Caiden Grace, 6, Caitlin, and Caleb Sedlak, 8.
While The Gummy Sharks performed classic tunes, kids and their parents wandered around Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium playing games, making arts and crafts and getting their faces painted.
It was all part of the celebratory conclusion to Mote’s second annual Shark Days. Throughout the week, Mote hosted different events focusing on the top predators of the ocean. Shark Days ended on Aug. 20, but not before guests had the chance take photos of the sharks, meet Mote’s mascot, Gilly the Shark, and learn more about the species. Shark Days helps aquarium visitors better understand why sharks are important to the ocean and to our world’s food chain.
“Sharks are very important to the ocean as top predators and the top of the food chain, and if their population was to be depleted, it would have a cascading effect on those beneath them,” Mote Marketing Coordinator Sofie Wachtmeister said.
Apart from all the fun, Wachtmeister said Shark Days is a good way for Mote to showcase what research is being conducting locally and globally.
