More than 120,000 people have explored the world of the ocean’s apex predator at Sydney’s Australian Museum, since its blockbuster Sharks exhibition opened in September last year.

Now is the last chance to catch the show before it goes on world tour at the end of April. Head along and see an eight-metre-long whale shark replica, various fossils, Jaws memorabilia and other curios, as well as the museum’s permanent exhibitions dedicated to dinosaurs and influential Australians.

Sharks
Sharks are fascinating creatures: the biggest can grow up to 16 metres long, the smallest just 46 centimetres, and some species have an eye-popping 300 teeth spread across five rows. They evolved nearly half a billion years ago and have survived five mass extinction events. But like much of the life on our planet, sharks now face an unprecedented existential threat from human-led climate change and habitat destruction.

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As its Sharks exhibition draws to a close, the Australian Museum is hoping to educate visitors, change behaviours, and drive a greater appreciation of this ancient and vital animal to help ensure its survival.

There are four sections to explore across the exhibition, including deep dives into the evolution of sharks and their incredible physical adaptations, as well as a series of interactive experiences. Try out the “Which Shark am I?” personality test; or have a peek through the eyes of a hammerhead shark. You can also get up close to an eight-metre whale shark replica; touch some fossils from the museum’s palaeontology collection; see real shark eggs and embryos, plus memorabilia from the classic film, Jaws.

A major section of the exhibition pays tribute to the entwined history of sharks and First Nations and Pasifika people. Australia plays host to almost half of the world’s 400 shark species, and First Nations people have long had an important relationship with these native animals. Visitors to the exhibition will see important cultural objects representing that relationship, including weapons, tools, ceremonial costumes and carvings, and gain a greater understanding of how we can learn to protect sharks.

There are still plenty of chances to catch the Sharks exhibition before the end of April, with the Australian Museum (plus the bar) staying open until 9pm on Wednesdays.

What else to see at the Australian Museum

Sharks also provides a great excuse to dip into a couple of permanent exhibitions.

The Dinosaurs exhibit recreates the Mesozoic era – the nearly 200 million years when these giant reptiles ruled the earth – allowing visitors to explore the details of that incredible time period. The exhibition includes an 11-metre-tall T-Rex model donated by National Geographic, and a huge selection of fossils.

There’s also 200 Treasures of the Australian Museum, which showcases 100 objects from the AM collection alongside the stories of 100 influential Australians. Visitors get to learn about some of the nation’s most important athletes, performers, doctors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, while seeing precious exhibits such as a 2200-year-old Egyptian mummy and the kipuka (feathered cape) given to Captain Cook on his fatal voyage to Hawaii.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with the Australian Museum. Book your tickets now to see Sharks and Dinosaurs.