Like some sharks with your morning dip? How about an evening partying at the
pool with some close friends and a group of angry sharks? The Golden Nugget is
without a doubt the gem of Downtown. The entire hotel is absolutely beautiful
and frankly a bit under rated due to its Downtown location – though the Downtown
area has seen huge renovations in recent years and is more popular than ever.
Golden Nugget put $30 million into their new pool area creating a 3 story
complex called The Tank, waterfalls, a Jacuzzi, an amazing 3 story slide right
in the center, televisions, Dive Bar, poolside service, cabanas with plasma
televisions and refrigerator, gaming tables nearby and, oh yeah a bunch of
sharks in the middle of the pool.
It may be a bit disconcerting at first. At the center of the pool the clear
glass 200,000 gallon tank holds five species of sharks including Sand Tiger,
Brown Sharks, Pacific Blacktip Sharks, Nurse Sharks (don’t got to her if you’re
bleeding), and Zebra Sharks. Along with the sharks you’ll see a range of sea
life like stingrays, large game fish all among a colorful reef habitat. You can
see the sharks from just about anywhere in or around the pool, but the best view
might be from the slide, as it twists and turns throughout the pool are and
right next to the tank. Warning though, there is often a large line at the
slide, especially when the pool is busy and the pool can get quite busy in the
summer on weekends and holidays.
More About the Sharks
Sand Tiger Shark – A fierce creature found in temperate waters mostly
on the Atlantic coasts. They store air in their stomach to make them more
buoyant in order to wait silently before pouncing on their prey – like a tiger.
Brown Sharks – Also known as a Sandbar shark, it’s one of the biggest
coastal sharks in the world found on the Atlantic coasts and Indo-Pacific.
Blacktip Reef Sharks – One of the most abundant sharks in the wild,
they are easily identified by black tips on their fins. They can be found in the
Pacific and Indian Oceans and are also known to show up in freshwater on
occasion.
Nurse Sharks – Found in tropical and subtropical areas, these sharks
are nocturnal and can grow to 14 feet in length.
Zebra Sharks – The Zebra Shark actually has spots and not stripes like
zebras. They are found in the Indo-Pacific mostly around reefs and can grow to
over 8 feet in length.
