Sharks in Captivity
Last Modified: 30/11/2016
Find out why it's so difficult to keep great white sharks in aquariums.
- 1There are some shark species that seem to do okay in aquariums.
- 2You'll see a lot of nurse sharks, zebra sharks, some reef sharks...
- 3...and sand tiger sharks, but not the great white.
- 4For decades, aquariums have tried to contain the world's largest predatory fish.
- 5Institutions like Marineland, SeaWorld and the Steinhart Aquarium...
- 6...repeatedly took in white sharks during the 1970s, 80s and 90s,...
- 7...at times drawing huge crowds, but they never lasted long.
- 8Some needed help swimming.
- 9None of them would eat.
- 10The longest one lasted was just 16 days.
- 11A 1984 report by the Steinhart Aquarium put it this way:...
- 12..."In most cases, it could be said that all of these captive sharks...
- 13...were merely in the process of dying, with some taking longer than others."
- 14They had constructed an elaborate transport tank with a harness and IV fluids...
- 15...but still couldn't keep the sharks alive.
- 16It wasn't until 2004 that the Monterey Bay Aquarium...
- 17...proved that it was possible to keep white sharks for at least six months.
- 18It took a massive effort, and no one's done it since
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