CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (March 3, 2006) – The ultimate undersea adventure takes place on the giant screen in “Deep Sea 3D” which opens March 3 at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater in Chattanooga. Viewers won’t need scuba masks, just 3D glasses as they dive beneath the ocean’s depths to experience its most compelling creatures. Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet narrate this Warner Brothers film that immerses viewers in the mysterious underworld of the ocean’s depths using state-of-the art, live-action 3D cinematography. Creatures like the giant pacific octopus, squid,

wolf eel, the rarely seen ocean sunfish, sand tiger sharks, fried egg jellyfish, coral and countless other amazing creatures are the featured cast in this spectacular film set against the backdrop of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

Watch as a mantis shrimp attacks its prey with the force of a 22-caliber bullet and witness the rarely observed, once-a-year, nighttime spectacle of coral spawning in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.     

“Deep Sea 3D” features nine different ocean locations from Hawaii to British Columbia and transports viewers to the exciting world of undersea life as the spectacular 3D effects allow moviegoers to feel as though they are actually swimming alongside some of the most awesome, dangerous and colorful creatures in our world’s watery wonderland.   

“Deep Sea 3D” enables the viewer to experience the underwater world in a way never before achieved through the 3D experience.  Advanced technology and filming techniques will allow viewers to feel as though they are actually swimming with these incredible creatures (except, of course without having to get wet).                                                             

The deep sea “stars” of the film may look very familiar.  The grunts, reef fish, sea stars, sea turtles, sand bar and sand tiger sharks, rays and eels in “Deep Sea 3D” also can be seen face-to-fin at the Tennessee Aquarium.  “Deep Sea 3D”comes to life as you witness these animals in their Aquarium environments. 

The “Deep Sea 3D” stars found at the Aquarium include: 

Sand Tiger Shark
With jagged, razor-like teeth and a body length of up to 10 feet, the sand tiger shark looks menacing.  However, in “Deep Sea 3D”as well as in its home at the Tennessee Aquarium the sand tiger is one of the least aggressive sharks known to humans.  It has extremely durable skin that allows it to hunt in reefs such as the Flower Garden Banks.  This tough skin enables it to dig deep inside the extremely sharp edges of the coral without injury to itself.  You can see four sand tiger sharks in the Secret Reef exhibit in the Aquarium’s Ocean Journey Building.   

Giant Pacific Octopus
Octopi are invertebrates related to the squid and chambered nautilus.  A giant Pacific octopus may weigh up to several hundred pounds and have an arm span of more than 30 feet.  They eat crustaceans and mollusks.  The giant Pacific octopus has the ability to change its color to blend with its surroundings.  They use this camouflage to protect themselves from predators but they also may defend themselves by expelling a stream of ink while it jets off in the other direction.  Octopi have three hearts that pump blue blood and these fantastic animals can be seen in “Deep Sea 3D” and in the Aquarium’s gallery, Boneless Beauties. 

Green Sea Turtle
Although typically thought of to be a slow-moving creature the green sea turtle can swim at speeds up to 19 miles per hour!  This animal breathes through its skin. They are able to tolerate very low levels of oxygen and can remain under water for up to three hours at a time.  Unlike land turtles, the sea turtle cannot draw its legs and head into its shell but it does have very leathery skin to protect itself.  A female may nest more than once per season and can lay up to 300 eggs in a single nest!  Two sea turtles call the Aquarium home with a 250 pound male living in the Secret Reef exhibit and the other, a newly rehabilitated turtle, living in the Gulf of Mexico exhibit. 

Coral
Corals are tiny animals and each individual is called a polyp.  Coral gets its color from the microscopic algae, or zooxanthellae that live within the coral’s tissue.  Coral reproduces itself by spawning.  This occurs once a year in the Flower Garden Banks eight days after the full moon in August.  The beauty of the Flower Garden Banks in the Gulf of Mexico featured in the film also can be experienced up close and personal at Ocean Journey where the same reef system has been duplicated in the Secret Reef exhibit.  This reef system was duplicated using man-made materials because removing a living reef would be extremely damaging to the environment and would destroy this fragile ecosystem.

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The IMAX® 3D Theater is next door to the Aquarium. Ticket prices are $7.95 per adult and $5.50 per child. Aquarium/IMAX combo tickets are $22.95 for adults and $13.50 for children. Advance tickets may be purchased online at www.tnaqua.org or by phone at 1-800-262-0695. The Aquarium, located on the banks of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, is a non-profit organization. Open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Aquarium and IMAX are accessible to people with disabilities. Members enjoy unlimited visits and other benefits. Call 267-FISH to join.

ONLINE press kits & downloadable images: http://www.tnaqua.org/Newsroom/Newsroom.asp