An aquarium has been slammed after its star ‘whale shark’ turned out to be a robot.
Xiaomeisha Ocean World re-opened to much fanfare on 1 October after a five-year renovation.
The 60,000-sq-m (15-ac) sea park attracted about 100,000 visitors during its seven-day trial run.
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But many were left feeling short-changed after its star whale shark turned out to be a mechanical likeness.
Snaps taken through the large tank’s glass show how the specimen is clearly a man-made imitation.
There are gaps in its body where different pieces have been joined together.
Visitors were reportedly furious after paying 280 RMB (£30) a ticket to see what was actually a robot in Shenzhen, China.
One wrote in a scathing review: “The park isn’t big enough, even the whale shark is artificial.
“By 3pm, people were already calling for refunds on-site.”
Xiaomeisha Ocean World said it had put the robot on display because live whale sharks are now prohibited from being traded.
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual was 18.8 m (61’ 8”) long.
The mechanical likeness reportedly cost millions of Chinese yuan to build, as reported by What’s The Jam.
Another reviewer wrote: “The most disappointing part was the whale shark exhibit.
“When I heard the name, I was full of anticipation, but when I arrived, I saw a mechanical whale shark.
“Even though it’s for the sake of animal protection, I’d rather they didn’t have one at all than show a fake one.
“It’s not interesting at all.”
The same visitor also criticised the sea park’s live fish, writing: “The fish care was not professional enough.
“I noticed that some of the fish in the tanks had white spots.
“Most people wouldn’t notice, but anyone who’s kept tropical fish knows that’s white spot disease.
“Some of the fish didn’t appear to be in good health.”
Xiaomeisha Ocean World is not the first Chinese animal park to leave visitors feeling defrauded.
In May, Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province was accused of dying Chow Chow dogs to resemble pandas.
