Because of their innate desire to hunt, they refuse to be fed by humans. In fact, great whites in the wild will not eat anything but live prey unless they’re close to starvation. While younger sharks target fish, they begin to feed on mammals and larger creatures as they grow https://oncasinogames.com/first-deposit-bonus/.
Shark tanks would need to be continuously stocked with live prey, which is far costlier than the dead fish most other aquarium inhabitants are willing to eat. Also not sure if it would be good PR for the aquarium to be feeding a shark a cute little live seal or something. People say they want that...but the reality is probably a different case. The massive tank that would be required for an aquarium to safely house a great white shark would have to be astronomically huge. And expensive. In fact, based on all of the failed attempts by aquariums to exhibit great whites, one can infer that a “large enough” tank has never been built. 3. Not Good For Viewing The introduction of a great white shark exhibit would most likely result in many disappointed customers. A tank large enough to accommodate a great white shark would be impractical in size, making it difficult for hopeful spectators to catch a consistent, close view of the predator. It would probably be far off in the distance somewhere. Moreover, because great whites feast on live prey, aquarium visitors would inevitably be subjected to the unpleasant sight of one killing and consuming its meals - if the staff were able to convince the shark to eat in the first place. Speaking of unpleasant sights, the tendency for great whites to swim into their tank walls causes visible injuries. When people visit aquariums and zoos, they expect to see happy, healthy animals, but would most likely witness a great white shark in an obvious state of discomfort. Knowing all of this, you might want to go cage diving instead!! 2. They Do Not Survive in Captivity Generally, there are two possible outcomes when a great white is placed in confinement: death or release back into the wild after a short stint at an aquarium, usually refusing to eat and injuring itself. Let’s recap the unsuccessful attempts: The first attempt at housing a great white was made by Marineland of the Pacific in 1955. Less than a day later, the shark was released back into the ocean. Until 2004, the longest a great white was able to survive in captivity was a mere 16 days, achieved by SeaWorld in 1981. The previous record was set in 1976, when a shark survived at SeaWorld for 96 hours. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has made five total attempts at exhibiting a great white - all of which have failed. In 1984, a shark died after 11 days there. In 2004, they released a shark after 6 months because it killed 2 other sharks. The aquarium tried again in 2011 - the shark was released after two months in captivity and died just minutes later. Then we have the case of the shark in Japan in 2016 which died after 3 days. One of the reasons aquariums have tried repeatedly to house great white sharks is the public demand for this kind of exhibit. It seems like even though everyone is so worried about shark attacks, we still love seeing them up close and people want to learn more about them. To cater to this demand, some scientists have even attempted to breed a “version” of great white shark that is more adaptable to tank life. However, those attempts have consistently failed, signaling that great whites are simply not biologically programmed to survive in captivity and that it’s not possible to condition them into coping better with the constraints of an aquarium tank. 1. PUBLIC PERCEPTION IS CHANGING Information about the effects of confinement on certain species has become more transparent and accessible than ever in recent years. Documentaries such as Blackfish and The Cove have brought widespread attention to the inhumane nature of keeping marine life in captivity. Additionally, animal rights organizations such as PETA and The Humane Society of the United States have increasingly spoken out about the unnatural captivity of marine animals in recent years. Although public demand has influenced aquariums to try to exhibit great white sharks, people are becoming less supportive as they learn more about the harmful effects of captivity and the fact that they end up dying!! While some species handle confinement better than others, the bottom line is that captivity raises valid ethical concerns about the well-being of creatures that are meant to be in the wild. Great white sharks rank high among the variety of animals that perpetually fail to thrive in captivity. They aren’t just uncomfortable, but otherwise ok. They show clear displays of distress and people really don’t want to see that. Even though we want to learn more and see these amazing animals up close, we just can’t take them out of their environment because they will not survive. As we as the public get more educated we want to see happy and healthy animals and if they cannot be kept in an aquarium then so be it.
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Joyleen MkakaStudent and a blogger. I write about all things fresh and natural. Regular contributor to www.dobremylo.com ArchivesCategories |