Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay and the 'Vegas with sharks' joke

Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay is a public aquarium housing more than 2,000 animals from over 100 species, including several species of sharks, giant rays and sea turtles; it opened to the public in 2000. The presence of an extensive aquarium within a Strip resort is frequently noted in tourism coverage as an unusual Las Vegas attraction. Locals and tourists often make tongue-in-cheek jokes about visitors encountering exotic marine life while on a desert vacation in Las Vegas.