Hollister
– Fish was on the menu for the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s new great
white shark Thursday when he enjoyed his first meal since coming to
the aquarium two weeks ago.
Hollister – Fish was on the menu for the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s new great white shark Thursday when he enjoyed his first meal since coming to the aquarium two weeks ago.
“It’s a very good sign,” said Aquarium Spokesman Ken Peterson. “And our husbandry folk says the shark is doing well.”
The 104-pound, 5-foot, 8-inch shark ate 1.5 pounds of California skate Thursday evening, and then ate a kilo of salmon Friday afternoon. Previously the shark had not eaten since its stay in a Malibu ocean pen shortly after it was caught.
“There’s not a lot of science you can do with a great white in captivity,” Peterson said. “But one of the things we can do is measure how much food it eats to the gram, and then measure how much of that actually becomes shark and how much is burned up in the metabolic process.”
In the wild, great white sharks primarily eat fish, smaller sharks, turtles, dolphins, and occasionally seals and sea lions. Their only natural predators are other great whites and sometimes orcas.
“One of the main factors we look at when determining how long the shark will stay is how much they’re eating,” Peterson said.
The shark has proven immensely popular with aquarium-goers. He was first on display for the Labor Day weekend, drawing 42,500 visitors, the largest crowd since the aquarium opened in 1986.
“This is a great opportunity for us to reach out to the public, and show them that sharks are fascinating creatures,” Peterson said. “And to teach them about shark conservation.”
The aquarium hosted another great white in 2004-2005, keeping it for a record 198 days in captivity. It was returned to the wild after killing two tank mates and displaying aggressive behavior. Great whites are notoriously difficult to keep in captivity, primarily because of their size; the largest great white on record was 21 feet long and weighed 7,000 pounds.
Researchers have also hypothesized that the electromagnetic fields in the concrete and steel required to build the tanks may interfere with the delicate internal navigation system great whites use to get around.
Though the last great white stayed at the aquarium for around six months, Peterson said this great white may not have as long a stay, because it is already somewhat bigger.
“A lot of the people who are coming to visit are the ones who regretted missing the great white last time,” he said.
If you plan on visiting the great white, the best time to visit is now. Ideally, try to plan a mid-week visit – the crowds are much smaller and school hasn’t been in session long enough for big field trips to be visiting. If you do go on a weekend, however, Peterson advises buying your tickets in advance by calling (831) 648-4937, visiting the Advance Tickets office or going to www.ticketweb.com.
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
