Cue the Jaws theme song – and prepare to get up close and personal with the creatures that pop culture has presented as ruthless, sharp-toothed monsters of the deep seas – a misconception that still haunts moviegoers’ dreams today. But don’t be scared – even the most timid of visitors will find plenty to enjoy in the upcoming exhibition Sharks, presented by Desjardins Group and organized by the American Museum of Natural History in New York, opening at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in nearby Toronto on Oct. 11 and running until March 22, 2026.
Visitors will learn all about these astonishing animals (including their surprising abilities, hundreds of species, prehistoric origins and much more), and maybe even come to understand that sharks are a little less dangerous than we fear – and a whole lot more interesting!
“Sharks captures the rich complexity of creatures that have long fascinated humankind and which now face urgent threats to their survival,” says Josh Basseches, ROM Director & CEO. “With an enthralling mix of immersive interactives and mounted models – including a towering megalodon – this exhibition is sure to captivate families and visitors of all ages.”
Few animals have captured the human imagination quite like sharks – permeating pop culture through Hollywood films and must-see media events like Discovery’s Shark Week – inspiring our awe over the endurance, adaptability, and elite predator status of the vast array of shark species, from intriguing deep-sea specialists like cookie-cutter sharks to the little-known river sharks of Asia.
Our fascination with sharks is understandable, given that they were around even before the dinosaurs – scientists trace their evolutionary path back to more than 450 million years ago. Today, there are more than 560 species of sharks and over 740 species of their closest relatives – rays, skates, and chimaeras – inhabiting nearly all the world’s marine environments, from coral reefs to the polar seas, and even freshwater rivers.
Sharks is a deep dive into the world of these (sometimes) fearsome fishes, taking visitors through the incredible diversity of the species via spectacular large-scale models, fossils, and interactive installations.
“This exhibition is a great example of why Desjardins is so proud to continue partnering with ROM. The museum does incredible work combining art and education through a diversity of exhibitions that always add something new to the cultural fabric of the city. Sharks is exciting because it delivers an educational component about biodiversity through an interactive experience that will fascinate kids and adults alike,” says Marie-Huguette Cormier, Executive Vice President for Member/Client Experience, Cooperation and Human Transformation, Desjardins Group.
Upon entering the exhibition, the gaping jaws of an ancient megalodon – the largest predatory fish of all time, which patrolled the oceans 10 million years ago – underscores the enduring dominance of these wonders of the waters. With its open mouth and serrated teeth the size of pizza slices, this gigantic replica opens a spectacular display of 30 life-sized models revealing the astounding breadth of shark species such as great white, bull, frilled, and Greenland sharks.
Visitors will be amazed by some of the most unique and unusual aspects of shark biology – did you know hammerhead sharks’ distinctive head shape gives them exceptional sensitivity to electromagnetic fields, while their distant relative the lantern shark is bioluminescent and glows underwater?
And despite common misconception, they’re not all massive beasts. Sharks presents the entire spectrum, from the huge-but-gentle whale shark to the tiny dwarf lantern shark and aptly named pocket shark, a pair of species small enough to be held in one hand.
Visitors will dive into engaging interactive elements, such as a challenge to hunt like a hammerhead, or a pattern-matching game that reveals how the unique spots on whale sharks can be used like fingerprints to identify individual fish. Discover the specialized behaviors that help sharks succeed in their environments, and marvel at a giant room-sized projection that displays the diversity of sharks that can be found in ocean habitats today.
While we might typically think of sharks as hunting in far-off seas, sharks are a critical component of marine ecosystems and sightings have become more common near beaches and shorelines. Greenland sharks can be found in the cold, brackish waters of the St. Lawrence River estuary and Ontario’s northern seas off Hudson Bay and James Bay, and the iconic great white shark is being increasingly encountered on both coasts of Canada in Nova Scotia and British Columbia.
Sharks also serve as a harbinger of the health of our environment. By encouraging a better understanding of these magnificent creatures, along with their habitats and the many threats they face amid climate change and ocean acidification, the exhibition reminds us that sharks are much more than their feared persona and are in fact a critically important group of animals we share this Earth with.
“As powerful predators and super-sensitive scavengers, sharks play a critical role in regulating abundant prey populations throughout the world’s oceans,” says Dr. Nathan Lujan, ROM Associate Curator of Fishes. “They’re also remarkably diverse, with 450 million years of independent evolutionary history producing a host of distinctive specializations whose many benefits to mankind – from cancer treatments to aircraft aerodynamics – science is just beginning to uncover.”
While the image might come to mind of beachgoers dashing from the surf to the safety of shore upon sight of a slow-moving fin above the waves, humans in fact pose the far greater threat to sharks. Millions are killed each year caught up in commercial fishing nets as bycatch, or through the practice of harvesting fins.
Sharks calls attention to the global need to protect these species and showcases the many reasons why this ancient branch of fishes continues to loom large in our collective consciousness today.
ROM Members will have the first opportunity to attend Sharks during the Member Previews on Oct. 10 and 11.
Sharks is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org). The Museum gratefully acknowledges Warner Bros. Discovery for its generous support of Sharks. A selection of footage in Sharks has been provided by Discovery’s Shark Week.
