Guests of the Golden Nugget’s pool complex have been able to swim with sharks since 2006, when the owners of the resort installed a $30 million aquarium dubbed “The Tank” and filled it with finned creatures. Nearly half of the species sport dorsal fins and razor-sharp teeth, but so far (save for a fictional incident on television’s CSI) there have been no reports of attacks—despite Golden Nugget’s estimate of 1 million visitors to The Tank each year. The sharks are well fed to keep them from straying from their normal diets, but the lack of an actual opening between the aquarium and pool is the major factor that ensures swimmer safety.
Should a guest want a closer view than The Tank’s windows or the waterslide that goes through the aquarium allows, there is an alternative. Last year, the Golden Nugget began offering tours given by the aquatic attraction’s staff.
“The main thing people want to know and see is what it’s like above The Tank,” says Rob Scott, one of The Tank’s seven marine biologists. “They only get to see it through the acrylic windows down at the pool. It’s kind of a big open area on top with a catwalk grating above it.”
Five species of sharks—including sand tiger, brown, nurse, blacktip reef and zebra sharks—coexist among the approximately 200 sea creatures populating the 200,000-gallon tank. They swim among redfish, blue runners, crevalle jacks and several types of grouper without ever appearing to snack on their cohabitants. Satisfying the sharks’ appetites is the key to maintaining harmony, with staff using 6-inch tongs to feed them at the top of The Tank. That’s where the hourlong tour and Q&A takes place each day at 3:30 p.m.
“We let them know everything we do on a given day,” says Scott, who, like his co-workers, will sometimes wade into the main pool in a wet suit to “warm up” after spending time in the 75-degree aquarium. “We talk about animal nutrition, water chemistries, the different species or sharks and fish that we have and why we’ve decided on those, and how they get along, how we limit aggression. We talk a lot about scuba diving and how to get a job here. Every group has different questions. We answer any questions people have about our routine.”
The tours have proven to be a popular addition to the multistory pool area, which also offers blackjack tables and craps for drier guests. The sharks are best observed from the first level, where there are usually children lined up along the windows. Stairs lead up to the third-story cabanas and daybeds of the Hideout pool (ages 16 and up) as well as entry to the slide, which provides a protected path straight through The Tank and into the main pool.
Photography by Raen Badua, Styling: Staci Michelle, Makeup: Sheenfol Benitez, Hair: Sylvia Stankowski, Photography assistant: Joe Fogarty, Model: Vanessa M./TNG Models
Golden Nugget, pool deck 7 a.m.-2 a.m. daily, swimming pool 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Jacuzzi and The Hideout 10 a.m.-2 a.m. daily, nonhotel guests call ahead for cover charge and pool availability. 866.946.5336
