Credit: By Albert Kok (talk) - I created this work entirely by myself., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23581122

Credit: By Albert Kok (talk) – I created this work entirely by myself., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23581122
If Jaws made you afraid to go in the water, Sharknado made you more afraid of tornadoes than Twister ever could. And, for the first time ever, their leading men are starring at SharkCon 5 in Tampa. At noon on Saturday, July 14, the stars of Sharknado (Ian Ziering, Cassie Scerbo, Gena Lee Nolin and Julie McCullough) will present a Sharknado panel; at 12:45 p.m. Sunday, July 15, Richard Dreyfuss, Jeffrey Kramer, Carl Gottlieb and Susan Backlinie will present a similar panel, but focusing on — you guessed it — Jaws.

These films may, indeed, be the two most unrealistic films about sharks ever filmed. Sharks are, to quote Ula in 50 First Dates, "peaceful creatures" — but that doesn't make those movies fun. In addition to the panels, autograph sessions and the thrill of meeting the man behind The Jerk in addition to Jaws (that'd be Carl Gottleib), SharkCon will have more — ahem — educational experiences, like talks about anti-poaching campaigns, whale sharks, and shark photography. 

The hands-on portion of the two-day festival of the mighty toothed ones includes riding a great white (um, we're assuming this is virtual or a not-live-animal), trying out SCUBA diving for free, touch tanks, a mermaid tank (definitely not the touch tank) and a plethora of activities for the kiddos. 

SharkCon 5 | Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. Highway 301, Tampa | July 14-15: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | $19.95; $4.95, kids three and older | extra fee for some autographs and to ride the great white | 941-539-0833, shark-con.com

This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 5, 2018.

Cathy's portfolio includes pieces for Visit Florida, USA Today and regional and local press. In 2016, UPF published Backroads of Paradise, her travel narrative about retracing the WPA-era Florida driving...