NOT SUCH BAD GUYS : Sea World’s Newest Attraction Puts You Close Enough to Get the Story Straight From the Shark’s Mouth

Sharks have had a bad rap from the start, and Hollywood hasn’t been much help. From the gnash-and-slash “Jaws” movies to Disney’s “Little Mermaid,” sharks have been largely portrayed as dim-witted eating machines that regard man as little more than dinner.

And we wonder why these guys have an attitude.

With its latest attraction, Sea World in San Diego wants to paint, if not a friendlier, at least a more accurate picture of these denizens of the deep. Operating on the “to know them is to love them” principle, Shark Encounter combines extensive information with close-up views of the creatures in non-threatening surroundings.

“Our first shark exhibit was built in the era of ‘Jaws’; it was more menacing and very stark,” said park spokeswoman Corrine Brindley. “With Shark Encounter, we’re now trying to dispel a lot of those myths that people hold about sharks. We’re trying to show that they have an important role in the ecosystem (and) that they’re a vital part of the food chain.”

Nearly two years in the making, Shark Encounter houses what is billed as the largest collection of sharks in the world--more than 80--in a three-part exhibit that offers visitors views from above, beside and (gulp) within the shark’s environment. Although park officials won’t disclose the cost of the exhibit, the grocery bill alone for these critters must be substantial.

Visitors enter Shark Encounter via a winding pathway lined with swaying palms and vivid flowers as well as signs that explain the sharks’ habits and habitat. Designed as a replica of a tropical atoll, the first part of the exhibit includes a small lagoon, complete with brilliantly colored coral, recorded bird cries and an 8,000-square foot mural of azure skies and a reef.

Peering over a low wall, visitors can view such species as the white-tip reef shark, which dines on bony fish and octopus; the larger Australian leopard or zebra shark, an inshore species with a long, elegant tail or caudal fin, and the sand tiger shark, a relatively benign fellow despite its menacing body size and wicked-looking rows of jagged teeth.

“We’ve tried to make this a truer representation of sharks’ natural habitat,” Brindley said. “In fact, our curator is fond of saying that we used to bring the sharks to you, and now you are brought to the sharks. You’re right in the middle of it all.”

That fact hits home in the exhibit’s second, and especially third, sections. Leaving the lagoon area, visitors file into a large multiscreen theater. After viewing a short documentary that peppers its more comforting messages with some chilling shots of great whites, the screens roll up to reveal a 400,000-gallon tank housing more than two dozen large sharks, as well as an assortment of rays, eels and fish.

A narrator identifies several of the species on view, including the moray eel, lemon shark and the tank’s beefiest resident, the massive bull shark. Measuring up to 10 feet in length, it is one of the most dangerous species of shark. Attacks on humans have been documented in the United States, Australia and South Africa.

So, you kids ready to jump in?

Hope so, because that, in essence, is the third and final step in this encounter. Stepping aboard a moving walkway, visitors travel along the bottom of the shark tank through a 57-foot acrylic tube. Lasting about two minutes, the ride affords a unique vantage point (ever been underneath a shark?), not to mention a significant boost to the old heart rate. At the end of the tube, visitors can linger at the tank’s side wall for some additional quality time.

Shark Encounter may be the park’s most popular exhibit (expect a wait of 20 to 30 minutes through Labor Day), but there are several other shows and displays worth a look-see. Smaller children will enjoy the goofy “Pirates of Pinniped,” a nautically themed sea lion and walrus revue.

At the California Tide Pool, children can get their mitts on a variety of sea stars, sea urchins and other inhabitants of shallow coastal waters. Walruses--including Lliyak and Tumuck, a convivial pair rescued and raised through the park’s beached animals program--accept smelt snacks from visitors several times each day. Members of the park’s education staff can be found at most exhibits and can answer questions about Sea World’s inhabitants.

If you enjoy a splashier show, stop by the 6,000-seat Shamu Stadium, where in addition to a live show by killer whales, a short behind-the-scenes documentary and retakes of the whales’ antics can be viewed on a new 300-foot video screen. Across the park at “New Friends” show, a trio of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, a false killer whale and an incredibly agile character named Cooper, the only known performing common dolphin in the United States, kick up their flippers.

Education is an important part of Sea World’s mission, Brindley said, and, at most of the park’s exhibits, trainers explain the training and characteristics of their animals in simple terms. Positive reinforcement for killer whales, for example, includes anything from a double armful of fish or a mouthful of ice cubes to a squirt-down with a hose and a hearty rubdown.

What: Sea World’s Shark Encounter.

When: Park hours through Sept. 7 are Sunday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday till 11 p.m. (After Labor Day, daily hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

Where: 1720 South Shores Road, San Diego.

Whereabouts: From Interstate 5, exit at Sea World Drive and travel west to the park. Parking is free.

Wherewithal: Admission is $18.95 to $24.95; children under 3 get in free.

Where to call: (714) 939-6212 or (619) 226-3901.

How to Sail Through Sea World

If you’re a parent, you have realized by now that those people in the Kodak ads are aliens.

You know the ones: the fresh-scrubbed family of four taking a break from a riotous good time at the local amusement park to grin cheerily into the camera, which is no doubt held by some admiring stranger.

No sweaty faces, no melted ice cream, no squalling toddlers.

In the real world, an enjoyable outing with kids often takes some planning. So, if you’re headed down Sea World way, here are a few suggestions:

* Lines: To avoid long lines at Shark Encounter, be there as soon as the park opens at 9 a.m. or go in the evening. Or plan to visit while the rest of humanity is at one of the big stadium shows.

* Food: The variety and quality of food at Sea World is good, but it’s expensive, so you may want to bring your own food. Lockers are available near the main entrance; no glass containers are allowed. There are a number of pretty picnic spots on the grounds.

* Tours: A bargain at $4 to $5, Sea World’s 90-minute guided tours give small groups a privileged peek behind the scenes, including a stop at the shark lab. Make arrangements at the tour booth near the main entrance.