Rookery Bay reserve Hosts "Summer of Sharks" lecture series

For the last 10 years diving with sharks is becoming a popular activity for many international tourists during scuba diving holidays and The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Florida will be hosting Ray Troll's traveling exhibit, "Sharkabet", this summer.

The exhibition runs from 13th May to 2nd September, 2011 and includes beautifully illustrated images of living and extinct sharks from Ray Troll's A-Z book, as well as a series of evening lectures from shark experts from all over Florida such as Dr Jose I. Castro, George Burgess, Wayne Hasson and Stan Waterman, who will share tales of the experiences diving with sharks.

The lectures will start on 11th May at The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and include:

• 11th May - "Sharks: To Feed or Not To Feed"
• 8th June – "Smalltooth Sawfish: America's First Endangered Marine Fish"
• 20th July – "The Perfect Predator"
• 27th July – "In The World Of Sharks"
• 17th August – "Shark Nurseries in the Ten Thousand Islands Estuaries"

The Rookery Bay Reserve is situated at the northern point of the Ten Thousand Islands on the gulf coast of Florida in the United States. The reserve is one of the only remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America and is set within 110,000 acres of pristine mangrove forest, uplands and protected waters of Rookery Bay.

Located at the northern end of the Ten Thousand Islands on the gulf coast of Florida, the Rookery Bay Reserve represents one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America. An amazing world exists within the 110,000 acres of pristine mangrove forest, uplands and protected waters of Rookery Bay which is home to over 150 species of birds and several endangered species.

The Rookery Bay Research Reserve is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, who work closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the reserve work closely with local communities to promote coastal management and conservation.

South West Florida is a popular destination for scuba diving holidays and with many divers seeking more adventurous marine activities such as diving with sharks, the Sharkabet exhibition will provide divers with a valuable insight into the behaviour of these incredible creatures.