Have you ever gone to an aquarium and noticed that they never have a great white shark? Nature’s most fascinating predator is missing. Here are the top 7 reasons why no aquarium has a great white shark.
7. They Need A Lot of Space Many people visit aquariums hoping to catch a glimpse of sharks up close. Especially the great white, but no exhibit like this exists anywhere in the world. Since 1955, numerous attempts have been made by aquariums to place great white sharks into captivity. Time and time again, however, the outcomes have been unsuccessful, and it never turns out well for the shark. One of the main reasons for this is the great white’s need for more space than an aquarium can provide. Great whites can weigh over 1,000 kilograms and measure anywhere from 4-6 meters long. But we keep Orcas in captivity in small pools, so why not a great white? Great white sharks are migratory open-water fish. It’s not uncommon for great white sharks to swim hundreds of kilometers in just a few days. Sharks that have been tagged by scientists have been known to end up on the other side of the world. One shark that was being tracked by scientists swam from Africa to Australia and back again in just nine months - a round trip amounting to about 20,000 kilometers. Additionally, great whites must constantly swim forward so water can pass through their gills - a necessary process for obtaining oxygen that separates them from most other species of fish, who get their oxygen by opening and closing their mouths. Constant swimming is also essential for maintaining their body temperature. While swimming, great whites tend to only change direction when they want to, further complicating the ability to confine one to a tank. A massive tank would be necessary by default due to their size. All factors taken into consideration, even a standard whale tank would be too small to accommodate a great white. They seem kind of small for whales too.. In 2004, the Monterey Bay Aquarium attempted to house a great white in a one million gallon, 35-foot deep tank, especially designed for open water fish. They were required to use a small, 4-foot-long shark, because even a tank of this size was inhospitable for a full-grown great white shark, and it still ended badly, but I’ll tell you more about that in a bit. If an aquarium had a great white shark, would you make an effort to go see it? Let us know in the comments!! 6. Captivity Causes Depression Marine biologists believe that because we are unable to create a suitable artificial environment for great whites in captivity causes them to become depressed. They aren’t at all happy with their new environment. As you know, great whites are salt water creatures and require a specific balance of saline in their tank water - something that is difficult for aquariums to maintain accurately. This imbalance, along with the inevitable lack of space provided by confinement, likely contribute to the tendency for great whites to become depressed and lethargic. First they can barely move, and then, they can’t even breathe properly. A depressed great white shark will stop eating and become increasingly aggressive.
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Joyleen MkakaStudent and a blogger. I write about all things fresh and natural. Regular contributor to www.dobremylo.com ArchivesCategories |