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Tropical fish swim near the bottom with various corals.

Wild Reef

Home to sharks, rays, corals and reef fishes, Wild Reef brings together remarkable predators and prey in constant motion. Immerse yourself in a diver's-eye view of a diverse and colorful marine ecosystem. Explore the reefs of the Philippines and see how Shedd helps conserve many of these remarkable animals in the wild.

  • Water splashes.

    Hear

    Catch the sound of the ocean in Wild Reef's tidal habitat.

  • Coral is grown from "plugs", small plastic vials containing the sediment the coral needs to anchor itself, then transplanted into the wild.

    Discover

    Find out how Shedd works to restore coral reefs around the globe.

  • Two people look at coral and fish in the Wild Reef Exhibit.

    Look

    Immerse yourself in a diverse underwater ecosystem.

Where sharks swim

Sharks glide by and corals grow in Wild Reef, an immersive and exciting exhibit that takes you thought the many sides of a Philippine coral reef. From big sharks to tiny mandarin dragonets, Wild Reef is a world filled with color and movement, waiting to be explored. Learn all about how Shedd is working to save coral reefs around the world, and hear the story of how one Philippine fishing village saved their reef.

Animal Chats

Shedd Spotlight: Sharks in Wild Reef

11:15 a.m.
2:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m.

Learn more about our animal chats.

A clownfish, about the length of an adult's little finger, swims nearby to the stubby-fronded anemone it calls home.

Clownfish

The honeycomb moray has the long, stocky body typical of moray eels, and is covered in an intricate pattern of dime-sized brown polygonal spots all over its body for a dizzying visual effect.

Honeycomb moray

A Japanese wobbegong on the habitat floor at Shedd Aquarium

Japanese Wobbegong

A juvenile whitespotted bamboo shark swims along the sandy bottom of its habitat, its long, narrow body curled as it turns in the water.

Whitespotted Bamboo Shark

A spotted wobbegong on the habitat floor at Shedd Aquarium

Spotted Wobbegong

Porcupinefish have long, round bodies covered in small, stubby barbs.

Porcupinefish

A humphead wrasse, large and with a bulbous protrusion on the top of its head, swims through Wild Reef.

Humphead Wrasse

A blue spotted stingray pup, its body roughly triangular, rests against the bottom of its habitat.

Spotted Ray

A crown-of-thorns sea star sits on a pebbled bottom.

Crown-of-Thorns Sea Star

A chocolate chip sea star with 5 arms sits on rocks moving to a pebbled bottom.

Chocolate Chip Sea Star

The mandarin dragonet is a tiny fish about the size of one's thumb, constantly fanning its fins as it searches for food along the reefs where it lives.

Mandarin Dragonet