reef shark atop a multi-colored reef at the 2011 Orange County Fair Ice Museum in Costa Mesa, CA
photo courtesy of Jim Ottens


This reef shark design, along with the earlier manta ray and sea turtle designs, was part of the 2011 Orange County Fair Ice Museum in Costa Mesa, CA (put together by Carving Ice). But the reef shark was 8 feet long in the museum and required 2 Clinebell blocks and a monster double can block (see a pic of one of these blocks below). And that doesn’t count all the ice that made up the reef below either!

The design has been converted to a single block piece, with two versions. It’s a paltry 40 inches long instead of 8 feet. But you don’t need heavy equipment to move it around, and it only requires 2-3 aluminum welds, depending on the version you choose. The first is as complicated as you want to make it. Go crazy with the reef; add all sorts of reef details and textures. Freeze on starfish, shells, clams, and corals. This design has three aluminum welds for the dorsal and pectoral fins. It’s also significantly heavier and makes much better use of the available ice.





The second design is much simpler, with stylized water holding up the shark. Only two welds are required for the pectoral fins, but they’re not the easiest welds. This piece is also pretty light, as a lot of ice is cut away from the block.





The reef shark display in the museum was a nice mix of clear and colored ice. The reef colors varied wildly, brown on one end and purple/pink on the other. After the main sculpture was completed, Carving Ice added a lot of small details all over the reef to make the display even more complicated and colorful.


This is a 600 lb., double can ice block that Carving Ice calls a “monster block.”


Here’s the big shark and reef partly completed. The “monster block” makes up most of the front half of the shark.



If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

Tags: fish, animals, sealife, aluminum welding method, OC Fair Ice Museum