Maritime Aquarium offers personalized Christmas messages from Shark-Diving Santa

Although COVID restrictions have forced The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk to suspend its annual “Shark-Diving Santa” presentations, Santa Claus will be filming personalized video messages to children from inside the shark-infested exhibit this holiday season.

Through a special arrangement with the Aquarium, Santa will don his red wetsuit and scuba gear, plunge into the Aquarium’s “Ocean Beyond the Sound” exhibit – home to seven 7- to 9-foot sharks – and record special greetings to good girls and boys.

Cost of a one-minute underwater video message from Santa is $20 per child. Parents can make arrangements at www.maritimeaquarium.org/santa. Deadline to place an order is Dec. 22.

A December tradition since 2010, “Shark-Diving Santa” usually has Santa joining the Aquarium’s dive team and posing for photos at the window of the 110,000-gallon “shark tank” several times each week. Like all of the Aquarium’s dive presentations, the purpose of welcoming Santa into the exhibit is to correct common misperceptions about sharks. Or, as Santa would say, “Sharks aren’t naughty; they’re nice!”

However, because “Shark-Diving Santa” always draws a crowd to the exhibit, the program this year would be in contrast to the Aquarium’s current protocols for social distancing.

“Santa loves to dive, though, so he has agreed to still take time from his busy schedule at the North Pole and hang out with our sharks long enough to film some special Christmas greetings,” said Aquarium spokesman Dave Sigworth.

The change in plans with “Shark-Diving Santa” is just the latest adjustment The Maritime Aquarium is making during the pandemic. After being closed for three months this spring, the Aquarium reopened in June with significantly reduced capacity (achieved through admission only by advance reservations for timed-ticket entry), mask requirements, enhanced cleaning and more. Educational programming has shifted to live-streamed presentations to schools, families and individuals.

The Maritime Aquarium reopened its IMAX Theater Nov. 27 to show movies for seven final weeks, prior to losing possession of the theater because of a railroad bridge replacement project that starts next year. Movies are playing through Jan. 18 on a reduced schedule with reduced capacity in the theater. Among the titles is the feature-length animated holiday film “The Polar Express,” playing on Saturdays and Sundays at 4:30 p.m. through Dec. 20.

“It’s been a challenging year, so we look forward to welcoming Santa back, thanking him for his support, and helping to send out his message of believing,” Sigworth said.

Get all the details about the Santa messages, as well as about exhibits, virtual programs and IMAX movies, at www.maritimeaquarium.org.