By Jessica Villano

Under the searing Las Vegas sun, images of respite float to the surface: sand as white as sugar and crystal-blue waters; the heady beauty of a vibrant jungle filled with chattering birds and peppered with exotic flora. Sound tempting? There is such a place at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino: Shark Reef.

Within its glass walls this 90,560-square-foot undersea world contains nearly 1.6 million gallons of seawater in 14 major exhibits. These exhibits house more than 2,000 dangerous predators representing 100 species including sharks, rare golden crocodiles, sawfish, giant rays, endangered green sea turtles, and piranhas.

Shark Reef is the sole predator-based aquatic attraction in North America and the only Nevada institution accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

This fully themed aquarium takes a novel approach to the business of displaying aquatic life. It constructs a fantasy for visitors by transporting them across space and time, allowing them to enter the predatory animals’ habitat and experience them in a transcendent way.

Shark Reef begins with the wet heat of the jungle exhibit and continues in the ruins of an ancient Burmese temple, which slowly sinks into the sea. Buddha statues and ornamental rock walls crumble and, where people once lived and worshipped, lionfish, moon jellies, eels, and sharks swim. The gradual descent into Shark Reef continues with the shipwreck exhibit where visitors are face-to-face with the shark-infested deck of a ship. It is here you experience total immersion in the sea: enclosed in a tunnel of glass, sharks glide beside, above and below you.

While this journey into the sea is unique in its presentation, its efforts in preservation are equally impressive. Considered a pioneer in the field of animal care, research, public education, and species conservation efforts, Shark Reef informs while it entertains. The aquarium also leads by example by recycling nearly 90% of the facility water and using imitation coral in exhibits in order to protect natural resources.

“The commitment of the staff to the core values of the facility – education, conservation and research – results in an inspiring experience for staff and visitors alike,” says Brian Robison, Executive Director of Attractions and Special Projects at Mandalay Bay.

When looking for sanctuary from the elements or relief from the intensity of a city that never sleeps, take some time to wander the jungle and explore the sea.

Shark Reef is open daily from 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. Last admission at 10 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 702-632-4555 or visit mandalaybay.com.