Elusive great white shark captured

[jamesinca]

Elusive great white shark captured
Monterey Bay scientists get better look at mysterious species

James Sterngold, Chronicle Staff Writer Saturday, August 2, 2003

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After weeks of hunting in the waters near the Channel Islands, scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium have succeeded in capturing a young great white shark and have spent several days studying the fearsome predator in a huge offshore pen.

The hunt is part of a long-term effort, which could span five years, to try to transport one of the rare sharks to the aquarium for study and public display. Aquarium officials said that although they would love to bring this shark up north, they expect to have to release it soon and then use the information collected to plan another hunt next year.

Relatively little is known about great white sharks, which can grow to more than 20 feet and weigh 5,000 pounds, and none has survived in captivity more than a few weeks.

But they are charismatic creatures with such a blood-chilling reputation -- numerous attacks on humans have been documented -- and majestic appearance that the aquarium has launched its most expensive program ever to try and maintain one in captivity, both for research and, not least, as a mascot and marketing tool.

The shark, a female about 5 feet long and 77 pounds, has already been tagged with an electronic device that, after 60 days, will come loose and send volumes of data via satellite about the shark's movements, the kind of water it swims in and the depths it prefers.

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NOT EATING
Though the shark is swimming normally in the pen and appears to be in good health, it had not yet eaten any of the dead mackerel it had been offered, a sign that the aquarium needed to learn more before thinking about keeping one of the sharks permanently in captivity, he said.

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http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/08/02/MN9645.DTL

so far they have got nowhere, they have never been able to get one to eat in captivity. Give them time they will learn how and why.

[dArKeR]

1. Bush said the shark is linked to Al Qaeda and on a suicide run.

Isn't leaving our Earth's life alone the Christian moral thing to do?

[jamesinca]

2. There has been a lot of debate about catching a Great White

They die in captivity, not to much is know about them etc.. It is nice that the MBA is trying to study them and advance our knowledge of the sea creatures, but to catch one is maybe not the best way to do it. They truly are meant to be free. Everything from whales to bunny rabbits will live in captivity, not the Great White, I find that pretty amazing in itself.

[DagmarK]

3. I bet Rummy and Pointdexter could get it to "talk"

and spill the beans!

[fortyfeetunder]

4. If they wanted to do this right -let it go!!!

In addition to mounting a (satellite-trackable) transmitter, should mount a camera to the shark's fin and then sent it on its merry way. That is the only way they are going to find out what sharks do au naturel. Very few sharks, especially the big ones do well in captivity.


changed title

[jamesinca]

5. They may have to

A little mystery is good, to have it about a shark is not a bad thing. I would like to know more about them and even go to the aquarium to see a full grown one, but not if it will kill or harm the shark. I know it is an animal that would make a nice wallet for some republican environmentalist, but it would be a sensless killing and that is my problem with this.

[WilliamPitt]

6. Free the shark

I dread swimming in the ocean because of sharks. It is pretty much my lone phobia. But I have been entranced by the things my whole life. This shark will starve to death if they don't let it go. All do Great White's do; they all commit suicude rather than suffer the indignity of captivity.

[Capn Sunshine]

11. Just to freak you out, Will, the 3 biggest sharks I've seen:

25 ft great white ( size of a station wagon! ) off the coast of Mexico

10 ft Blue off Mission Bay (San Diego)

15 ft. Great White off San Francisco

The last two areas I note you will be visiting soon :wow:

[BiggJawn]

7. Turn it Loose!

Rove needs it to be healthy enough to eat swimmers later this month to get the Sheeple's pea-brains off of Chimpy's 30-day booze bender...

[9215]

8. Desire for freedom is inherent?

Strange, does the shark know it is "captured" and therefore suffering physical effects?

I once came face to face with a gray wolf in British Columbia when I was out in the wilderness. I'll never forget the eye contact. The animal mesmerized me as it slipped out of site. It's head was turned around and it maintained the stare as it bounded forward. I could never figure out how it could run forward and jump a snowbank while looking backward.

I shake my head puzzled every time I think of the incident. A precious and ever so rare experience with a magnificent animal.

[alfredo]

12. I came face to face with a Moray eel

while snorkling off the coast of Massawa. Scared the crap out of me. I don't think it would have hurt me, but I didn't want to press the issue. All I saw was the teeth, that was enough.

[supernova]

9. Thanks for the article.

I enjoy learning about sharks. I hope they let the little thing go. It's not worth starving it to death.

FWIW, you sent me on a web hunt this morning. I learned a lot about Great Whites and their ancestor (maybe not extinct?), megaladon.

[jamesinca]

10. Somebody was inspired by the article

That is more than I expected from this post, I will take it as a compliment. Stories have been in the S.F. Chronicle for about the last 6 weeks on this issue, maybe you could search there for the MBA and the Great Whites.

[alarimer]

13. well

I think it is very important to learn as much as we can about this species and any other because sharks as a group are in serious decline worldwide, mainly due to fishing pressure and environmental loss. Maybe if we know a little more about it we can manage it better. I agree thought that this species does not do well in captivity. The last one they had at the California Academy of Sciences had to be released because she kept bumping into the walls and wouldn't eat. Apparently they can detect very small electrical fields and that was interfering with her senses in that aquarium. Pelagic species such as this are very difficult to study.

[Merlin]

14. The Sinking of the Indianapolis

Quint: ...the idea was, the shark would go for nearest man and then he'd start poundin' and hollerin' and screamin' and sometimes the shark would go away. Sometimes he wouldn't go away. Sometimes that shark, he looks right into you. Right into your eyes. You know the thing about a shark, he's got...lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eye. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be livin'. Until he bites ya and those black eyes roll over white. And then, ah then you hear that terrible high pitch screamin' and the ocean turns red and spite of all the poundin' and the hollerin' they all come in and rip you to pieces.
...
eleven hundred men went in the water, three hundred and sixteen men come out, the sharks took the rest, June the 29, 1945.

[Divernan]

15. Condoleeza Eyes!

I've seen sharks on about 16 of my scuba dives - some of them as close as five feet - and they do have lifeless black eyes. I'm always reminded of them by Condoleeza's eyes. (I prefer the company of sharks)