Staff Reports
Brave divers at the Madrid Zoo Aquarium once again plunged into a tank full of sharks to install a traditional nativity scene, a reminder that public displays of faith still matter to communities around the world. The spectacle — divers in full gear placing figures of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus as sharks circled nearby — is the kind of wholesome, courageous tradition that conservative Americans should celebrate rather than shrug off.
This is not a one-off publicity stunt; the underwater nativity has been part of the zoo’s Christmas season since the aquarium opened in 1995, and the figures become a playful element of enrichment for the animals, swimming among rays, barracudas, turtles and several species of sharks. The scene is staged in a very large saltwater tank, where keepers say the novelty breaks up routine for the creatures and gives families a festive sight that actually honors the holiday’s meaning.
Some in the mainstream media treat stories like this like light fluff, but there is a cultural point worth making: when institutions are willing to publicly display nativity scenes, it shows that our Christian heritage still has a place in public life. That kind of confidence in public expression stands in stark contrast to the censorious tendencies of those who want to scrub religion from every corner of civic life. No one is harmed by a tasteful, animal-safe representation of Christmas; in fact, entire families take joy in it.
There’s also a lesson in courage and common sense. The divers who install the display are trained professionals who respect animal welfare while giving visitors an experience that connects younger generations to a story older Americans understand: the birth of Christ, community celebration, and harmless wonder. Rather than sneer at such traditions, conservatives should applaud institutions that preserve faith-rooted customs and teach children to value heritage, not erase it.
Madrid’s aquarium is doing something practical and effective — blending conservation and culture — while left-leaning elites back home spend their energy hunting for things to ban. If we want future generations to grow up with confidence in their history, we should support public displays that reinforce identity and faith instead of surrendering every communal space to bland, ideological neutrality.
We ought to take notice and take pride. When brave workers don their gear to place a tiny manger bed beneath the watchful eyes of sharks, it’s a small act with a big cultural meaning: faith persists, families are given reasons to gather, and common sense shows that tradition and animal care can coexist. That is worth defending in America this holiday season.
