Just Announced today from Georgia Aquarium

[Trixxie]

Can't entirely agree with you, mg...
I have two pets: Sphynx cat (mutant hairless breed -- didn't exist prior to the '60s, and was bred into its own line. They can't survive on their own, or even go outside for more than a couple of hours -- they'd die of exposure... so I figure I'm doing my part. Besides, he's the only one in the house that greets me at the door...
Also have a South Florida kingsnake. He's about six feet long, beautiful screaming yellow, docile as a kitten, and has a congenital defect... his tongue can't connect with his Jacobsons organ (which means he can't test the air for food -- wouldn't be able to find prey if he bumped into it). So, I figure I'm doing him a favor as well by keeping him.
(And no... he and the cat are *not* playmates).

I *do* believe quite a few of the animals at the Ga. Aquarium are rescue (including a couple of the belugas), and I ENTIRELY support that effort, as well as the exposure, and education it provides to the public. The Tennessee aquarium was responsible for a complete mindset reversal for me (for the better), and had much to do with my initial interst in diving.

Howevuh... anything short of a tank that stretches from Georgia to Dominica is simply too confining for the largest, healthy, migratory, fish in the world... (IMHO).

P.S. -- Make fun of my hairless cat, and I'll sic the snake on ya...

Awwwww, the kitty is cute despite not having any hair (I don't think I have ever called a snake cute but I think they are cool too). I love animals of all sorts.
Here are mine

You are correct about the rescue of a lot of the Ga Aq animals. The Beluga Whales, the Sea Otters, a lot of the reef fish to name just a few. And yeah the whale sharks are a migratory animal and I must admit I had my doubts when I first heard they were going to be in a 30' deep exhibit but they seem to be doing ok. I would prefer to have them here than on a dinner plate still though. I hate the thought of any animal being killed but I also know that we all have to eat and if whale shark is on the menu for a 3rd world country then so be it right? This sounds like a good topic for conservation!

I can now say I have been diving with sharks, thanks to the Tennessee Aquarium. I really admire both aquariums for what they try to do in regards to public awareness and education. I have had people ask me if the Beluga whales were manatees before??? and had NO CLUE what a whale shark even was or had never seen one. Hopefully both places will instill a love for the Sea and the Marine life to young and old to help protect the underwater world we divers love.

The good thing is that we can all agree to disagree and still go diving together and have a great time in spite of our difference of opinions.

 

[ChrisM]

At my shark conservation class last week I learned that about 85% of the worlds shark population has been taken by shark finners. If the worlds shark population continues to decline at the current pace that it is, then the reefs and reef fish will soon follow.]

You have a point. I have been to Cocos and Galapagos and, particualarly in the Galapagos, seen a decline in sharks the two trips I was there, likely the result of overfishing and lax enforcement. I've dived with whale sharks on a few occasions. Perhaps that slants my view as to why these manificent creatures should not be held in captivity.

But how does that relate to whale sharks in an aquarium? Shark finners do not take whale shark fins. They take them via long line and, as we all know, you can't catch a whale shark on a hook since that's not how they feed.

Did you know that all groupers and many marine fish are born female? they change to male when the need arises for one. it's called sequential hermaphrodism. once they change there's no going back. it takes a grouper approx 25 yrs to reproduce so the fact that they are fishing and taking young grouper also means that they are in jeopardy along with many other species of fish. I am not a Marine Biologist and most of them have forgotten more than I could learn but the Ga Aq is a fascinating place.

Why yes, in fact, I knew that. Not only true of groupers, but fish in the wrasse family as well. I've always found this an interesting and fascinating point to wow my friends at parties, but again, what does that have to do with captive whale sharks?

Certainly you're not saying we learned about the dangers of shark finning and the hermaphodism of certain fish from the captive whale sharks? Shark finning has been going on a lot longer than the GA aquarium has been around, as has hermaphrodism.

Whale sharks are not mammals by the way, they are fish. Not to split hairs or anything. They also can not eat anything larger than a quarter, they are filter feeders. Their diet at the aquarium consists mostly of krill and shrimp. They would never starve at the aquarium, they get fed approx 30 lbs a day, each.

Yes, they are sharks. Hence, the name. Again, a non sequitur to what anyone has learned from the captivity.

As for starvation, you're kidding, right? the NY Times reports that Ralph had been on a FEEDING TUBE for months since he wouldn't eat, and that may have contributed to his death, sicne he died of peritonitis, or inflammation of the stomach lining. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/29/us/29shark.html As for Norton, he also stopped eating before his death. You may support the aquarium, but don't blind yourself to facts.

Millions of pounds of unwanted fish are caught each year in gill nets, it's called by-catch. Most of them die and are then tossed back into the ocean. If there is any thing that is wrong it's not that they have 4 whale sharks in a "6.3 MILLION GALLON PEN" it's that the worlds fishing industry is decimating the worlds fish populations at a much faster rate than it can reproduce. About three quarters of monitored marine stocks are now fully exploited, overexploited, or even depleted. At the continued rate it won't be long until our oceans will be a the point of no return.

I agree, but what does that have to do with the captive whale sharks? Are you saying that we should only be concerned about overfishing, and not whale shark captivity? I think I'll be concerned about both.

I'll ask again, other than you shouldn't force feed a whale shark, what has anyone learned? Anything of value?

We know very little about whale sharks. Where they migrte, how they breed, why they travel where they do. Georgia has added not one whit of information in this regard.

By the way, I find it interesting how anyone that is opposed to keeping whale sharks in captivity are immediately lumped into a "anti captivity" group. Not sure how you make that logical leap (and really, you don't see a difference between domesticated animals and non-domesticated animals? come on....), but I can assure you that you are wrong as to at least one of us against the captivity.

 

[Trixxie]

The comments I made on the other points besides the whale sharks were in reply to your "prey tell what have you learned?" comment and yes, I do realize the difference in domesticated animals and wild animals. I was just trying to point out that domesticated animals haven't always been that. At SOME point and time someone had to go out and catch a wild animal and put it in a cage and then breed those same wild animals as captives. why was it ok for them to do that back then resulting in the house cat and pet dogs today? if it wasn't ok for anyone to have done that to those then wild animals why do you or whoever condone having pets?

 

[ChrisM]

If that's your argument, that's your argument and I am not here to change it. I obviously don't agree with it, but it's all beside the point, and we'll just agree to disagree.

My question was to your post, which said we've learned a LOT, emphasis yours, in the short time they've been in the aquarium. If great inroads in science and knowledge were being made, then I'd be interested to hear about it and it might actually change my opinion. Hence the question, what have we learned?

So far, the question hasn't been answered.

At any rate, it isn't my cross to bear, so, taking the K's cue, I'll post no more

 

[Trixxie]

Actually the Marine Biologists at the GAI have been working with folks at NOAA and and another agency in regards to the tracking of whale sharks via GPS transmitters. I am not on the dive team or the Husbandry staff or anything else scientific at GAI so I could no more tell you all of the scientific findings they have discovered about whales sharks at the GAI but I would not consider the NY Times a good source of info about the subject.

I wish I had the time and recall to give you a glimpse of the info on whale sharks they have over at the GAI but like I said I am not a Marine Biologist. If case you haven't read my profile I am a volunteer there. I know they learn new things about them everyday but I not in the position to tell you what it is.

here's to agreeing to disagree.