They paid for the sharks, keeping the hunt for the sharks alive and are now them selves profiting from them as well something i am very much against. whale shark lifespan in captivity2006 toronto marlboros. If we could get a more diverse crowd in the aquarium to begin with, I think this newly exposed crowd could see what an impact they could make in this great science. They need to be free and not turning and turning in a big box. Because the whale sharks were purchased from fisherman at a fish market. Whale sharks have five large pairs of gills. In addition, I think that the sharks at the aquarium are better off given that they are still alive; had they still been in Taiwan, they probably would have been killed and eaten by now. The program that the Georgia Aquarium offers is pretty cool. [83] This is unusual because of the comparatively long transport time and complex logistics required to bring the sharks to the aquarium, ranging between 28 and 36 hours. This is in contrast to the passive feeding basking shark, which does not pump water. tinisoli, we are unlikely to agree on this in the near future. How are people at the Georgia Aquarium able to save the whale shark population from becoming food? Their presence suggests that the Ticao Pass may be a pupping ground for whale sharks, further increasing the ecological significance of the area. [62], The BBC program Planet Earth filmed a whale shark feeding on a school of small fish. Whale shark mouths can contain over 300 rows of tiny teeth and 20 filter pads which it uses to filter feed. [47] Aggregations in that area are among the most reliable seasonal gatherings known for whale sharks, with large numbers occurring in most years between May and September. Avoid the biggest mistake new betta owners make: they dont understand their diet needs. I believe that there are pros and cons to keeping whale sharks at an aquarium; however I do think that some of the pros given in this article require further explanation. In the following years, the Monterey Bay Aquarium hosted five more juvenile white sharks for temporary stays before ending its program in 2011. They are generally shy and passive creatures and harmless to humans. In the hypothetical scenario of swallowing a human, its not like the whale shark would gulp the human down the throat, never to be seen again. The information is used to create further protections for whale sharks. However, I think this issue goes ethically deeper than research and more people seeing a whale shark. Again, it is obvious from the information presented in the interview that a lot of good has come from these individuals. WWF and 1986 Panda Symbol are owned by WWF. For example, saving an animal that is following the path to extinction from being eaten is a relatively good reasoning for placing it in captivity. That said, Taiwan has since made fishing for whale sharks illegal, so this particular hunt for sharks is in fact no longer alive . Thanks for the clarification. They have a long muzzle and sharp fangs designed to, Over at Sciam's Mind Matters, Melody Dye has a great post on the surprising advantages of thinking like a baby. If you don't know how to take care of an animal, then you can't take of it. Such information can be utilized to determine age at maturity of individual whale sharks and, when incorporating that information in to the study of population dynamics, should help to form a starting point in predicting the responses of populations to various perturbations. Thanks for the link. I'll have to agree with Scott, above: if whale sharks are "gentle" then white sharks must be "vicious killers", Orcas must be "Hunters of the Sea" and so on? The Doctor did not explain in depth to what really happened to the sharks. Discovery Channel does not do these animals justice. Data deficient LC NT VU EN CR EW EX Least Concern Extinct. An international effort is necessary to ensure a safe haven for the whale sharks in the worlds oceans. Baboons are nasty, brutish and short. I do not fault the Georgia Aquarium and I understand the reasoning behind capturing wildlife for research purposes. The aquarium handles this dive better than any aquarium I have seen before. That would be a bad idea and there is no telling how many whale sharks are dying out in the wild, but they are. I guess that could be too much trauma for the shark once it has adapted to a more domesticated lifestyle.. This article is very interesting to me, I thought the interview was a really good idea, and having it opened it up to the public even more. The Georgia Aquarium is also now a Class R research facility, which means that animal research conducted there is subject to strict ethical scrutiny. We consider the whale shark a harmless filter feeder, eating small fish and plankton. ScienceBlogs is a registered trademark of Science 2.0, a science media nonprofit operating under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. We cannot love something to which we cannot relate. Measuring whale sharks Rhincodon typus with laser photogrammetry", "Turtles and whale shark landed along ratnagiri coast, maharashtra", "Stranding of a whale shark, Rhincodon typus (smith) at Pamban, Gulf of Mannar", "Experts to cut up 40.1-foot long whale shark today", "Whale sharks in Gulf of Mexico swim near the surface, take deep dives", "Whale Sharks Move in Mysterious Ways: Watch Them Online", "Whale sharks found off Gujarat coast no expats, they are Indian". ( Rowat and Brooks, 2012; Taylor, 1994) Range lifespan Status: wild unknown (low) years Range lifespan Status: captivity 9 (high) years Typical lifespan Rick, I was not suggesting that unethical and inhumane collecting and display practices are permissible if done in the name of science, but rather suggesting that these institutions aren't even trying to learn anything about the animals they have captured. They are both based on premises I don't accept. The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The dive with the sharks program does not tend to phase me so much, and I do not feel it should phase anyone for that matter because these divers arent going into the fish tanks to harm the sharks in any way possible. If you are scared of this fish, realize that they swim slowly and wont actively try to feed on anything close to the size of a human since it cant consume them. Food separation in whale sharks is by cross-flow filtration, in which the water travels nearly parallel to the filter pad surface, not perpendicularly through it, before passing to the outside, while denser food particles continue to the back of the throat. Amys back from Peace Corps now, Ill see if she wants to road trip out there. If they had died in the wild though they would not have people researching and scrutinizing every factor that could have lead to their death, which is beneficial to the other whale sharks. Because they eat plankton and nekton, they are one of the most harmless animals in the ocean, and they have been observed avoiding human contact. At first glance, this might seem like a ridiculous conjecture: A baby, after all, is missing most of the capabilities that define the human mind, such as language and the ability to, Joe Keohane has a fascinating summary of our political biases in the Boston Globe Ideas section this weekend. Storing it the wrong way also increases the risk of the fish going rancid. The main point of the aquarium is to educate people about the animals, not to make them a tourist attraction. [50], The capture of a ~10.6m (35ft) female in July 1996 that was pregnant with ~300 pups indicated that whale sharks are ovoviviparous. I will concede this: If aquariums/zoos have made you care even a little more about animals, then I guess they're not universily evil. On the heels of In Defense of Animals Ten Worst Tanks list and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditation, the aquarium appears to be in good standing with the American Humane Association (AHA). [9] The whale shark holds many records for size in the animal kingdom, most notably being by far the largest living nonmammalian vertebrate. [10][11][12] Whale sharks have very large mouths and are filter feeders, which is a feeding mode that occurs in only two other sharks, the megamouth shark and the basking shark. They was born to eat anything they want in the water. For example, I am a visual learner, so the combination of reading the information about the animal provided on the sign with the presence of the animal reinforced what I had just read. Like it was said, not many people are able to see whale sharks first hand, and their exposure to the world makes people much more aware of their cause and more likely to have more interest. All rights reserved. However, most folks do not have the time or money to travel far distances to swim with or dive with sharks in the wild. Yes. No, the Georgia Aquarium does not abuse animals. Selling those sharks for live display rather than for food did not entitle the fishermen to take four more sharks. Best Betta Fish Food Options: What Do They Eat? If someone saved my life, only to keep me captive and on display, I wouldnt be grateful, Id be pissed. deliveroo architecture; strontium citrate pros and cons People who visit the aquarium and learn about whale sharks often donate money to aquarium-run and Taiwan-based conservation and education efforts. Ive never understood why some people get so upset about captive whalesharks, but not by captive grouper, or lionfish, or something else in a proportionally similar tank. I would rather an animal be naturally distressed in the wild from encountering a natural reaction from having been chased by a predator or falling from a tree.. than to be unnecessarily distressed by captivity and the problems that it brings, such as loud humans; machine noise; bubbles in tanks; chlorinated water; human toxins (from skin, lotions and plastic); small living areas; restriction of movement and the need to migrate or breed; dying early and then replaced, much to the publics ignorance of this occuring; lack of companionship; trauma of capture and relocation and the list goes on. The Megalodon went extinct around 3.6 million years ago. Was it loss of companionship? As humans, we have to make the decision for this animal. They paid for the sharks, keeping the hunt for the sharks alive and are now them selves profiting from them as well something i am very much against., Wait, are you against fishing for sharks or against the concept of profit?. These gentle marine giants roam the oceans around the globe, generally alone. I would love to see a study on this as well. It is the sole member of the genus Rhincodon and the only extant member of the family Rhincodontidae, which belongs to the subclass Elasmobranchii in the class Chondrichthyes. Several whale sharks around 18m (59ft) in length have been reported. The aquarium certainly wouldn't acquire sharks in this way if it effectively encouraged MORE fishing for whale sharks. I would not now go to a zoo and stand there, looking at whale sharks or lions and think, Hey, that animal looks so powerful and amazing behind that glass, so big and beautiful. And to also think and feel that it belongs there for me to look at, often for an hour or two, once every couple of months or so? The same study predicted females reaching a length of around 14.5m (48ft) on average, based on more limited data. Even though they pose no threat to humans, they are sometimes the target of fisheries as a food source since people eat the meat and use their fins in soups in some parts of the world. Whale Sharks Killed, Displaced by Gulf Oil? What bothers me the most is the way they acquired the shark. Whale sharks are highly valued on international markets. (I have been within inches of several, and it was definitely an incredible experience.). Ive seen fish in US mail-order catalogues which are very difficult to find in the areas that they are from and appear scarce. They are globally distributed, and we even have them (sometimes) here in South Carolina. In an ideal world all creatures would be wild and free and live happily ever after. I believe that the procedures shown and followed by the workers and volunteers at the Georgia aquarium are very professional, and as long as all whale sharks are kept in the same condition, I believe it is perfectly acceptable for whale sharks to be kept in captivity. Habitat: Tropical oceans above 21 degrees Celcius or 70 degrees Fahrenheit. [35] A 20.75m (68.1ft) long whale shark was reported as being stranded along the Ratnagiri coast in 1995. By sparking the awareness, fascination (funds) for these creatures they are given a greater opportunity for survival in the big picture. The media and animal activists love to dwell in the seeming I told you so stories (such as the death of the two whale sharks) however, seeing how they WERE destined to die before they were even brought to live in the seemingly ample conditions in the first place, it is not as if their lives were extended somewhat anyways. Whether we knew it or not, we were learning. They feed on plankton and travel large distances to find enough food to sustain their huge size, and to reproduce. Dr. Hueter said it was possible the shark's stomach had been punctured by the feeding tube. Then yes, the sharks were better off inside Georgia Aquariums walls. WWF also supports whale shark studies to learn more about the population, their habitat use and migratory pathways in the waters surrounding Mafia Island, Coastal East Africa. In addition, the Georgia Aquarium works hard to educate the public about aquatic life and conservation, while also engaging in research and conservation efforts. But then they decided to get the sharks instead from Taiwan, from fishermen who otherwise would've killed the sharks for their flesh and fins. Globally, dolphins and whales in captivity form a multi-billion dollar industry . (WSM interjection- I witnessed this feeding process and it was pretty cool to watch. Whale shark meat on a drying rack. Maybe a visit to the aquarium would help them out? [77], This species was also added to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 2003 to regulate the international trade of live specimens and its parts. If they are fed, the are happy. Sharks in aquariums are certainly well fed. It is able to ram filter feed or can gulp in a stationary position. After all, feeding and housing a shark is an incredibly expensive undertaking for a scientist or researcher. They feed almost exclusively on plankton and small fishes, and pose no threat to humans. Compared to the size of the fish, the teeth are considered minuscule. Collectively known as cetaceans, these animals can be forced to perform tricks in circus-like environments, including in dolphinariums or aquariums. These creatures have some key differences. Do you think that whale sharks as a species benefit from the captivity of these few individuals?. [16] A 12.1m (39.7ft) whale shark was reported to have a mouth 1.55m (5.1ft) across. While the deaths of Ralph and Norton are unfortunate, it seems that the aquarium staff learned something from their deaths, and they will ensure it does not happen again. Its a well-known fact that great whites arent kept in captivity because they take an inordinate amount of resources to capture; and, most importantly, because the sharks quickly die outside of the oceans, no matter how well zookeepers care for them. The aquarium is, of course, going to say theyre happy and healthy. She seems to have some, I've got a new article in the latest Wired on the science of stress, as seen through the prism of Robert Sapolsky. The human would likely get stuck in its mouths opening or interior, as the fish filtrates water and anything larger than 2 cm through its gills. Some scientists believe that the life expectancy of the Great White Sharks is around 30 years (Levine, 1988) but other research indicates that they can reach up to 40. As a result, the survival rate for captive whale sharks is low. These amazing creatures have fascinated us for millions of years, but we still dont know what they are. The fish is primarily pelagic, and can be found in both coastal and oceanic habitats. Whale sharks were found to possess dermal denticles on the surface of their eyeballs which are structured differently from their body denticles. Why wouldnt they? Blackfish tells of the story behind Tilikum, the killer whale that is being held captive at Sea World. The truth is, these sharks only care about two things: getting food and mating. Despite the fact that research is still ongoing, we do not know a lot about the gentle giants that have existed millions of years before. No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died, Known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population, Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the Wild, Facing a high risk of extinction in the Wild, Likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future, Does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened. I for one prefer to see any animal in the wild, and for whale sharks this is no exception, especially after having the pleasure to swim with them. The sharks were facing the open market of Taiwan where the meat surely would have laid upon the extravagant pallets of Taiwanese consumers. Still, scientists have yet to confirm this behavior. With all my respect to the two sides of the story, I do not really understand how dose Georgia aquarium knows that there are whale sharks had just been caught now in Taiwan by fishermen? [12], Pupping of whale sharks has not been observed, but mating has been witnessed twice in St Helena. I agree that it was right for the Georgia Aquarium to buy the sharks form the fishermen. And in many aquariums captive sharks mate on a regular basis. These are powerful, strong creatures. The short answer is yes; the problem will be solved if it is done properly. 3. For everyone to be able to get an appreciation of whats under the sea, and whats in their local area in particular, is a beautiful thing. I hope happens in more cases of regarding captivity. http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_whiteshark/whiteshark_ours.aspx. Whale sharks can live up to 100 years in the wild and are currently listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. So, in my book, GA did all the right things, and made a positive difference for whale shark populations. McClain CR, Balk MA, Benfield MC, Branch TA, Chen C, Cosgrove J, Dove ADM, Gaskins LC, Helm RR, Hochberg FG, Lee FB, Marshall A, McMurray SE, Schanche C, Stone SN, Thaler AD. The article isn't online yet (read it on the iPad! And there certainly is a lot of legit research going on in the back rooms and labs of many aquariums. NO. I think animal activists need to worry about something else. The study found an age of 50 years for a 10m (33ft) female and 35 years for a 9.9m male. [9], Large whale sharks are difficult to measure accurately, both on the land and in the water. [2] Studies looking at vertebral growth bands and the growth rates of free-swimming sharks have estimated whale shark lifespans at 80130 years. The longest a great white was held in captivity was at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, in September 2004. It has been found in the Pacific Ocean, as far north as the coast of California and south to Zona Sur in Chile. The greatest tool for astronomers of the past 20 years has, without a doubt, been the Hubble Space Telescope. and have been seen eating fish and sharks, but relatively little . [68] Younger whale sharks are gentle and can play with divers. Needless to say, the move comes with the usual mixture of emotions, as I've greatly enjoyed my four years as part of the, Over at Gizmodo, Joel Johnson makes a convincing argument for adding random strangers to your twitter feed: