Last update:November 18, 2024, 5:13 p.m. IST

Each robotic whale shark can cost millions of yuan, although this amount is far less than the expenses needed to maintain a live shark.

A robotic whale shark was unveiled at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park in 2022. (Photo credits: Instagram)

A tourist aquarium in China has reportedly faced backlash for featuring a robotic whale shark instead of a real whale shark. Several videos have been uploaded to social media, showing a life-size artificial whale shark gliding through the blue waters of Xiaomeisha Sea World in Shenzhen. The aquarium has attracted massive crowds since its reopening in October. Many tourists who visited the place to see a real whale shark were left heartbroken after encountering the robotic creature. Some people, however, appreciated the innovative approach and praised the aquarium authority for the realistic whale design.

Each ticket for the Xiaomeisha Sea World would cost 230 yuan (nearly Rs 2,680). A large number of tourists who have visited the aquarium in recent times have reportedly requested a refund of the entry fee. They shared their grievances on the aquarium’s page on Dazhong Dianping, a review service run by Meituan, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

One such person wrote on the platform: “I can’t believe the whale shark is fake. “It’s outrageous to charge more than 200 yuan for a ticket,” according to Chinese media. Another person threatened to “shut down” the place, referring to the robotic whale.

On the contrary, a tourist praised the aquarium authorities for this unique idea. “It’s a wonderful alternative to showcasing large sea creatures without trapping them in an aquarium. Rather than hiding the true identity of the whale shark from visitors, the aquarium should take this opportunity to educate the public about the importance of animal protection,” he wrote (via SCMP).

Xiaomeisha Sea World is not the first Chinese aquarium to have a robotic whale shark. A similar thing was unveiled at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park in 2022, according to National Business Daily. These artificial creatures have been specially designed to imitate the movement of real whale sharks.

Each robotic whale shark can cost millions of yuan. This amount, however, is much lower than the expenses required to maintain a live shark. To keep the biggest fish, an aquarium authority may need more than 100 million yuan (nearly $14 million). Although whale sharks have a lifespan of 80 to 130 years in seawater, in an aquarium they cannot survive more than five years.