Swim or dive with sharks

The aquarium's "Swim with Gentle Giants" program, let's six snorkelers and six divers into the 6.3-million gallon fish tank each day. The visitors are treated to close-up encounters of roving bands of sting rays, sleek hammerhead sharks, enormous grouper and countless other species. But for most it is the close encoutner with a gentle giant, the whaleshark. The Georgia Aquarium is one of the few places that have ever attempted to house the creatures, and the only in the U.S.

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is up to 46 feet (14 m), weighing up to 15 tons. The average size is 25 feet (7.6 m) long It is the largest fish in the world. Females are larger than males.