BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — I'm Madi Vollmer, reporting at the McMurtrey Aquatic Center for the city's Shark Week event. With Shark Week here, I looked into Bakersfield's deep history with ocean life — yes, even here in the dry Central Valley. I also spoke to a local dive expert about what it's really like to swim with sharks.
Almost 15 million years ago, it may be hard to believe, but Bakersfield was once under an ocean. I spoke with a local geologist to learn more about the oceanic life that once thrived here.
Mark Hodson, is a Docent at the Buena Vista Museum and he says, "We had big rivers carrying in lots of nutrients. We had this large land mass blocking the worst of the storms. This was a very rich area for life. They've recovered the fossils of over 140 different species of animals from this thin bone bed called the Shark Tooth Hill Bone Bed — about 14.8 million years old."
I drove out to Sharktooth Hill to see if I could find a shark tooth myself — but there was no luck this time.
Hodson says scientists believe the megalodon sharks could have been around 50 to 80 feet long. "A shark literally as big as a bus."VO – I also had the chance to speak with a local diver here in town, Dave Ross, who shared what it's like swimming with these incredible animals.
Dave Ross, is a PADI Master Scuba Instructor and he says "In Honduras, we had a really nice shark dive. They were pretty good — blacktip or reef sharks, pretty good size. We got to swim around them and then go down and find their teeth on the ground, because they lose their teeth all the time."
Both Ross and Hodson say that the history — and sharks in general — are fascinating and worth exploring.
"It’s eerie. It’s a big fish. They’re sharks, and they have that name to them, you know? But we’re not their food. We don’t smell good, we don’t taste good." Ross said.
Hodson also says sharks aren't too big of fans of us, but it's still cool to know they swam right where we're walking.
This event starts at 6 and goes until 9 p.m. tonight, and it’s $5 per person at the door.
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