Counting sharks not sheep all in the name of conservation.
Hi, I am Andrew Tindale. I am an interactive aquarium developer, and my latest venture, is to create the world’s first affordable overnight experience – sleeping with Australian sharks and rays.

The vision to establish a prototype Underwater Resort Room interaction in South East Queensland, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, stemmed from 28 years experience in the underwater world, including my involvement in the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra and founding the Australian Shark and Ray Centres.

My team and I have welcomed over 300,000 people in the water with our sharks and rays over the past eight years, patting and playing with some amazing critters.

Despite their fearsome reputation, sharks and rays are curious and intelligent creatures, who deserve a place in our oceans and estuaries. In fact they are critical to these ecosystems.



After considerable planning I have developed a way to create the worlds first affordable Underwater Resort Rooms to watch Australian sharks and rays glide by and we have the largest range of species in the world.

The Prototype




We now need to build the prototype and we need your support. Built here in Australia, with both Tourism and local Manufacturing involved, the prototype room will be located within one hour of the Brisbane CBD.

The multilevel, exportable design will feature landscaped gardens and a natural pool surrounding a sunken, 180-degree glass-wall hotel room, complete with bathroom, dining and lounge facilities on ground level. This has the potential to not only save a lot of animals and educate a lot of people, especially in Asia - our primary market, but can be a real export earner for our country, showing future partners around the world, what Australia can produce.

The Types of Accommodation

We have 2 types of standard accommodation:
Glamping: The coolest tents in the world, ideal for small or indoor sites, we can even do bunk style rooms. A very high return investment and fabulous educational tool.
Living Cabins: Using converted shipping containers covered in living walls and roofs, we can do 1, 2 or 3 bedroom cabins for less than the cost of a 3 star Motel room. Living cabins will be exciting,  breathing experience with plenty of undercover outdoor and indoor living to make for a fabulous multi-night stay.
Custom Designs: And above that we can custom design any amazing home, bnb, indoor or outdoor aquarium with sharks, stingrays, crocodiles, alligators, reefs, fish or even a natural pool anywhere in the world. Cool job hey!

Why do we keep sharks and rays in captivity??

Nearly all our fish were destined for seafood markets. It’s estimated up to 70 MILLION Sharks are fished for their fins every year. Way more Stingrays for food, including Mantas! According to Sea Shepherd ninety percent (90%) of large shark populations are already gone. The shark finning industry is destroying these animals in a cruel and horrible way, and we believe change will come with education. There is no better education than interaction and having people really see these animals for what they are - which is worthy of our protection from total destruction.

Too cute to eat!!!!

The Market

Anywhere where there are people wanting to experience unique accommodation we can go. We can build these cabins, including the aquariums, at less than the cost of a traditional 3 star motel room on a joint venture basis. Plus there is the benefit of having an educational attraction on site as well. Our Glamping model is even more affordable giving one of the best returns for accommodation going around.

I really see this fitting in with existing Resorts, Attractions, Wineries, Education Centres.....anywhere where tourists or large populations want to experience the shark and ray world.

Location for the Prototype

We are currently searching for a spot to put the prototype within 1 hour of central Brisbane down to the Gold Coast . 
Being a small natural looking pond we are looking for a venue that has natural surrounds, a beautiful landscape, plenty of carparking and easy to find. We require a small flat space approximately 15mx 10m or more . Being a showroom any retail zoning would be applicable.
This could be in conjunction with an existing tourism attraction, a botanic garden or a winery, or even a plant nursery?? Send us an email if you have somewhere that would suit.

Future Vision

Once the prototype is up and running we are planning on building the first Underwater Resort in South East Queensland. We are currently searching for a spot and I am really interested in the belt between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Preferably we will do a joint venture with an existing tourist attraction, resort, zoo, nursery or education centre if not we will find some land and create a world class venture in South East Queensland to not only bring  tourists here, but to export an Aussie venture around the world.

Rewards

Put your hand in your pocket for as little as $20 for kids or $30 for adults, and you can call yourself a ‘Ray Wrestler’ and pat Fred and his friends in the pool. Or perhaps the JAWS big lunch reward is more your style where you and 20 of your colleagues and take lunch meetings to a whole new level for $800.

I believe in this project, that it can save some cool animals, create jobs and build some awesome aussie branded products around the world. 

How the funds will be used

100% of all the funds raised will go towards the construction of the prototype.

Provided by the Pozible campaign will be:
The modified cabin complete with:
1) Underwater Bedroom
2) Bathroom
3) Kitchenette
4) Internal Living areas
5) Outdoor area and landscaping.


Already provided by myself:
a) Filtration systems
b) Heating and cooling
c) Life support systems for the animals
d) Pumps
e) The animals themselves including Gigantor our 3m Tawny Nurse Shark, and Fred my first ever Black Ray.
f) Animal transport
g) The location for the prototype in Brisbane (to be within 1hr of the CBD).
h) All funding to keep the prototype running.
i) The aquarium pools
j) Security

As far as the construction, approvals and care of the animals I have zero concerns. This I have all done before, and in multiple states (ACT, NSW and Victoria). All the due diligence has been done on this project and I have sufficient funds to keep the prototype running without any other income.

However I should point out that one of my businesses, The Australian Shark and Ray Centre in Melbourne, was closed in mid 2015 after 3 1/2 years. Ultimately it came down to it being too big and cost heavy. Plenty of people came and enjoyed the experience, we were just paying too much out in expenses on space we didn't need.

Everyone should know that all animals from Melbourne were safely given new homes between the National Zoo and Aquarium and Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters. Some will even be involved in the new prototype.

So my challenge when designing these new aquariums was to mitigate this risk and that is one of the reasons I have created the underwater rooms. This gives us a 24-hour product without putting any stress on the fish, plus creates a whole new market for the experience. Beats a musty motel room any day.

I truly believe that we can take this to the world, as a uniquely Australian product, with a definitely Australian Brand.