Days before Christmas, Santa Claus has visited a Shanghai aquarium to spread festive cheer and raise awareness for ocean environmental protection.

A red and white Santa Claus swam with fish at the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium to promote awareness of the need to protect the ocean environment and the necessity of curbing China's growing shark-fin trade.

The swimming Santa donned his special Santa diving suit to feed the fish and take a dip with his finned friends.

Even though Christmas is not an officially celebrated festival in China, the holiday excitement was apparent among the aquarium's visitors who watched Santa's interaction with the fish.

Many visitors like Zhang Manna were inspired to do more to help China's endangered ocean species.

"I think this is a great idea, and it's something we all should do. I just saw the shark photo exhibit and I was so deeply moved, as it firmly showed that we shouldn't eat shark fin. We should start from ourselves; our every little action can help," she said.