Gaetan P. said:
What has happened to past porkers in captivity? die from confinement?
Hello Gaetan,
Back in 1980, a 300lb white was kept for 72 hours at Steinhart aquarium in San Francisco. Swimming in circles in a concrete pen, the shark started to list and collide with the tank walls. It was suspected that the steel reinforcement bars in the concrete were putting the zap on the animal's electromagnetic receptors, so it was released back into the wild. There have been other attempts to keep whites...I think Marineland of Florida tried it many years ago, without success. Any sort of confinement seems to stress these animals. Last year, a 1500lb white swam into an estuarine pond near Woods Hole, Cape Cod. It stayed put for almost two weeks, but eventually began to show a slight list (indicative of some disruption of the animal's sensory array). Using nets and high-pressure hoses, a team managed to herd it back out to sea.
NPR reported yesterday that the Monterey white shark has recently attacked two other sharks in the enclosure, prompting discussion about the viability of keeping it. Aquarium staff are unsure about what's prompted this aggression, since the shark is kept well fed with fresh salmon. Could be territorial behavior or selective elimination of potential competitors.
My pal Joe saw the shark this past Sunday, and was thrilled by it.
NPR also reported yesterday on the
Dosidicus "invasion" along coastal waters of the western U.S, tagging along on a day charter boat as the passengers fished for the squid using baited lines sunk to @ 1000ft. Squid and sharks in a single broadcast...NPR can be cool, sometimes.
Clem
*