White Shark on Exhibit
September 2004-March 2005

One of the goals of our ongoing white shark research project that started in 2002 was to determine, systematically, whether it's possible to keep a young white shark on exhibit at the aquarium.

In September 2004, we put a white shark, accidentally caught by a commercial fisherman, in our Outer Bay exhibit, where she fed and thrived until her release to the wild in March 2005. This is the story of that remarkable achievement.

Ocean Pen is Step One

We received the white shark on August 20, 2004, after she was caught inadvertently in a commercial halibut gillnet near Malibu in Southern California. We held the approximately five-foot-long white shark in a four-million-gallon ocean pen—an enclosure four times the size of the aquarium's Outer Bay exhibit. Using the ocean pen gave the shark a chance to recover from the stress of being caught in fishing gear.

Into the Outer Bay

Because she remained in good health, the shark was transported to Monterey on September 14, 2004, and placed in the Outer Bay exhibit. Being the only white shark on exhibit in the world, her arrival at the aquarium drew media attention from around the world, including Good Morning America, CNN and USA Today.

Feeds on First Day

On September 15 at 11:15 a.m.—less than 24 hours after placed in the Outer Bay exhibit—the white shark fed on four wild-caught salmon fillets. The event marked a breakthrough in the decades-long effort by aquariums to successfully keep this globally threatened ocean predator on long-term exhibit.

The shark continued to eat regularly, easily taking food such as salmon and mackerel from a feeding pole.

Learning Opportunity

Having a white shark on exhibit allowed us to gather new data on the biology and behavior of young white sharks—data that will help in their management and conservation.

Aquarium biologists tracked each gram of food she ate from the time she arrived. These data points allowed them to calculate how much energy she expended in swimming and basic metabolic functions, and how many calories were available for growth. During her record-setting 198 days on exhibit, she grew from 5 feet and 62 pounds to 6-feet-4½ inches and 162 pounds.

Incredible Ambassador

Nearly one million visitors saw the white shark and learned more about shark conservation issues during her six and a half months at the aquarium.

In March 2005, we decided to release the shark back to the wild following observations by our Husbandry staff and staff veterinarian indicating that the white shark was beginning to hunt other sharks in the exhibit. She was also growing to a size where it would soon be more difficult to successfully transport her for release. Her overall health was excellent as were her prospects for survival in the wild.

Released to the Wild

Aquarium staff released the shark in the offshore waters south of Monterey Bay shortly before sunrise on Thursday, March 31, 2005. Recently collected data, including data from a shark tagged in our field research project last year, suggest that young white sharks range all along the coast, including the waters of Monterey Bay and north of San Francisco.

Prior to release, the shark was fitted with an electronic data tag to track her movements for a month, including the depths and water temperatures she preferred.

Travels Revealed

On April 30, the electronic tag popped free on schedule and began transmitting data via satellite to scientists at the Tuna Research and Conservation Center (TRCC), a research collaboration between Stanford and the aquarium. TRCC researchers analyzed and mapped data from the electronic tag that were recorded every 10 seconds during the 30 days it was on the shark. They found that the white shark swam more than 100 miles (160 km) off California's central coast and was at times diving nearly 820 feet (nearly 250 m) deep—a clear signal the shark survived and thrived after release.

Future Efforts

The aquarium will begin a fourth field season of white shark research in summer 2005 and will attempt to bring another young shark back for exhibit.

White sharks are among the most maligned animals on Earth, and one of many shark species worldwide threatened by human activities. We believe there's no better way for us to raise awareness about the threats white sharks face than to let people see for themselves what magnificent and fascinating animals they are, tell the story of the threats they face in the wild, and offer ways to take action that will protect white sharks.