Mechanical Shark Sighting in Ocean City, MD

The huge critter seen above has been around for quite a while. Yet if you happen to be an avid fan of massive mechanical sharks (I'm looking at you, Jaws fans) and have never heard of this big fake beast, then this is my public service for you. This mechanical shark is located on the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum on the boardwalk of Ocean City, MD. Of course, the museum has plenty of fun and freaky exhibits of its own, but the shark that's mounted on the front and side of the museum is an attraction by itself for monsters buffs of all ages.

Unlike the full-body Bruce sharks from the Jaws movies, this shark isn't fully mechanical. The mouth doesn't open or close, and only the head and tail wiggle from side to side every few minutes. Also, while the shark measures 40 feet in length--making it bigger than the largest Bruce shark, which was the one used in Jaws 3-D that measured at 35 feet--it's not a complete shark. It's just a head and a tail mounted to the museum's exterior in such a way to suggest that the rest of the shark's body is inside of the museum, as if the shark was ramming its way through the building and got stuck. In spite of such shortcomings, this shark is still a noteworthy piece of public horror art. It's gigantic, it moves, it's mean-looking, it's got rows of sharp teeth, and it's next to a beach and an ocean. What more could a mechanical monster shark lover ask for (except for, say, a Fonzie look-alike to ski jump over it)?

Click below to see more pictures of this monster shark, half of which were provided by a good friend of mine who was in Ocean City a few weeks ago. These pictures also include a behind-the-scenes photo of the shark when it was still in production at Creative Environs, Inc. International in Jacksonville, FL.