The sixth great white shark we've exhibited is back in the wild.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium husbandry team released the shark about two miles offshore of the Goleta pier north of Santa Barbara, shortly after 1 p.m. today.
According to Manny Ezcurra, our associate curator of elasmobranchs, “The transport and release went very well. The shark swam off looking strong, and very relaxed as he swam. He circled the boat a couple of times and then we lost sight of him.”
The shark is carrying not one but two electronic tags -- a first for our research program. As with all the young great whites we've kept on exhibit, he was fitted with a tracking tag that will documents his movements in the wild for the next 180 days, then pop free and deliver the data via satellite.
Our research partner Dr. Chris Lowe with the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach also implanted an acoustic tag with a five-year battery life that will report in every time the shark swims past one in a growing network of coastal monitoring buoys in southern California and Baja California.
We're hoping to learn what changes –- if any -– occur in the shark's travels as he matures. This is a critical piece of information that can help wildlife agencies manage and protect young great white sharks in the waters where they spend their early years.
Counting the two tags placed on the shark released today, we and our research partners have placed 46 tracking tags and eight acoustic tags on young great whites since the program began in 2002.
We'll resume our field tagging work next summer, and hope to bring a seventh shark to Monterey for a short stay.
If you missed seeing this shark, here's a beautiful video clip shot by a visitor on Monday -- the last day the shark was on exhibit:
This creature is truly amazing!
Posted by: Ben Benjabutr | December 16, 2011 at 09:41 PM
I saw the baby great white on Friday and Saturday....my, my, my such grandeur in such a very small creature. He is a majestic animal.
I learned that when he was born he immediately leaves his mother, that they are hard-wired from the beginning for survival on their own.
Posted by: marree | October 28, 2011 at 12:55 PM
This is so sad. I wanted to see him. My very first time at the aquarium, I went to one of the presentations and they showed a mini documentary about the other shark here which made me want to see one. But I guess it will have to be next time.
Posted by: Feng | October 26, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Thank you, Janet and Zack -- he is an amazing animal and we feel fortunate we were able to introduce him to so many people during the two months he was in Monterey.
Zack, keep following the Aquarium's email and Facebook news. Our 11th Project White Shark field season resumes next summer and we hope to bring another shark up north.
Posted by: Ken Peterson | October 26, 2011 at 08:17 AM
So sad I missed this one. I had planned on seeing him next weekend. Such an amazing animal
Posted by: Zack | October 26, 2011 at 01:03 AM
What a beautiful shark and a wonderful opportunity to have on site at the Aquarium for all to see.
Posted by: Janet Williams | October 25, 2011 at 07:03 PM