Mote SEA Shark Pups & Grown Ups
In Sarasota, where the Gulf is both backyard and inheritance, a conversation about sharks is never only about sharks.
By Edit Sarasota Staff
In Sarasota, where the Gulf is both backyard and inheritance, a conversation about sharks is never only about sharks. It is about the health of the water, the stories we tell about wildlife, and the way a child’s first encounter with a living animal can become a lifelong instinct to protect it. On Saturday, September 26, Mote SEA will turn that conversation toward families with “Shark Pups & Grown Ups,” an event designed to bring young visitors and their accompanying adults into the world of one of the ocean’s most misunderstood inhabitants.
The occasion arrives at a useful moment. Sharks occupy an outsized place in popular imagination—equal parts fear, fascination, and cinematic myth—while their real role is considerably more nuanced. As predators, they help sustain balance in marine ecosystems; as residents of Florida’s coastal waters, they are part of the ecological neighborhood Sarasota depends on for recreation, tourism, and its sense of place. Introducing that complexity early, in an atmosphere built around curiosity rather than alarm, is one of the most meaningful forms conservation education can take.
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium has long made that work central to its identity. Founded in Sarasota in 1955, Mote grew from a small shark research station into an internationally recognized institution whose scientists study the Gulf, marine animals, and the pressures facing ocean environments. Its public-facing programs give that research a local address, translating questions from the field and laboratory into experiences that families can share. Mote SEA, the organization’s expansive aquarium destination at Nathan Benderson Park, extends that mission with galleries and encounters meant to connect visitors to the waters beyond Sarasota’s shoreline.
“Shark Pups & Grown Ups” also speaks to the particular pleasure of learning together. The best family science experiences do not divide the room into experts and beginners; they give adults permission to be surprised alongside children. A question from a young visitor can open a larger discussion about habitats, adaptation, and what responsible stewardship looks like in a coastal community. For Sarasota families, the event offers a chance to see the region’s marine life not as distant spectacle, but as part of an ongoing relationship.
The event takes place Saturday, September 26, 2026, at Mote SEA in Sarasota. Families can plan their visit around the aquarium’s broader exhibits and make a day of exploring the science, animals, and waters that define the place we call home.