129 Fremont Street
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.