Yes, we did it again! For the fifth time since 2004, our Husbandry team has successfully brought a juvenile great white shark from the wild to temporarily reside in the million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. She was collected by our team in a purse seine net in waters near Malibu.
As with the white sharks who came before her, we hope she'll be an ambassador for her species in the time she's in our care. We want to encourage more people to learn about the plight of sharks, and be moved to take action to protect them in the wild.
While she's here, she'll also add to our growing understanding about juvenile white sharks' feeding and dietary requirements. With so little known about how young white sharks make a living, and what we need to do to protect them in their natural habitat, all the data we can collect are invaluable.
As part of our Juvenile White Shark Project, we and our research colleagues also tag and track young sharks in the wild -- animals that will never be candidates for exhibit. What we're learning about their migration patterns is adding to the body of scientific knowledge about the life history of white sharks during their early years.
How long will she be with us? We don't know. Three of the earlier sharks were on exhibit for four to six months, the fourth just 11 days. All were successfully returned to the wild. Our number one concern is her health and well-being (and, of course, that of the other animals with whom she will share the water during her stay).
We'll keep you updated through the blog, so you can find out how she's doing. You can also check on her yourself, via our Outer Bay webcam -- or when you visit the Aquarium.
For now, here's what we do know:
Age: She's considered a "young of the year" -- meaning she was born sometime in 2009. It was a live birth, followed shortly by the mother's departure to colder waters and richer feeding grounds! Where? We don't know, but many young white sharks are seen in southern California waters. (Scientists are still trying to figure out where white sharks mate, and where their pups are born.) I don't believe a white shark birth -- or mating for that matter -- has ever been seen by anyone!
Size: She's five-foot, three-inches long and weighs 79.8 pounds. Our first female white shark, who arrived in 2004, gained 100 pounds and one foot in length during her six-month stay. We expect this little girl to have a similar growth rate.
Name: Carcharodon carcharias -- the genus and species name for the great white shark. We don't name any animals that will be returned to the wild.
Keep checking back; we'll share more as we learn it!
Finally, here's a look at what's involved in bringing a white shark to the Aquarium, featuring the animal we brought to Monterey in 2006.
Finally, here's a look at what's involved in bringing a white shark to the Aquarium, featuring the animal we brought to Monterey in 2006.
Posted by: CLV | May 18, 2011 at 12:58 AM
this story is just amazing. the king of the ocean in captivity.
Posted by: Brandon Klaus | October 25, 2009 at 08:58 AM
I had the pleasure of sleeping overnight in the Outer Bay exhibit room last year with the white shark on her last night at the Aquarium. It was so interesting to watch how well she blended in with the lighting and depths in the water, and how she moved. With the fear of encountering a shark in open water removed, my family was able to see the beauty of the white shark. Thank you for bringing another opportunity for us to learn this year!
Posted by: Kari | August 27, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Our husbandry team collected her using a purse seine net. That way they knew exactly what her condition was when she went into the ocean holding pen. We've tagged and released several other sharks this summer that were caught accidentally in commercial fishing gear. You can find details about our Juvenile White Shark Project here: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/whiteshark.aspx.
As far as family four-packs, they're available through some public libraries in the region. Check with the library information desk.
Ken Peterson, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Posted by: Ken Peterson | August 26, 2009 at 06:25 PM
Was she stuck in a net or did the aquarium set out to aquire her?
Also, do you still offer the family 4 pack to Watsonville residents? It used to be available at the public library.
Posted by: Kim | August 26, 2009 at 05:40 PM