What a waste of space! What a great shark aquarium or a tank like ocean voyager this could have(has?) been...
I think this sounds cool. This aquarium needs more room for temporary exhibits like Monterey has. It already has a good shark exhibit.
That's why I also mentioned the "ocean voyager"-exhibit. As far as I know, the Aquarium of the Pacific hasn't Manta Rays and/or Whale Sharks (yet). And - if federal and/or state law still allow it - a Great White Shark exhibit for injured/rescued individuals would also be an interesting thing. Guess what draws more visitors: Manta Rays and Whale Sharks or just a (nowadays in aquarias very common) cinema theater (even when it is big)? Beside that: A big tank could also be used as a temporary exhibit...
I don't think that you are going to see any more whale sharks or manta rays in American aquariums beyond Atlanta due to husbandry and ethical concerns. It appears that Monterey has stopped displaying white sharks out of similar ethical and welfare concerns.
Well, with this argument you might be right - unfortunately imo. In my "ethical" view, it is better to try to safe a injured or ill animal/individual in captivity (sorry Bib Fortuna: human care) at least temporary then to let it just die...
you realize all of the great white sharks held by Monterrey Bay were captured explicitly for the trial of captive display, correct? Sharks are not a species which undergo rehabilitation on a regular basis. Where as cetaceans will gravitate to shallows when distressed the sharks sink when they stop swimming. Furthermore whale sharks have never been bred in captivity and the GA stock were all captured from the wild. To promote this practice is irresponsible to say the least. Not just unethical, but unsustainable and inappropriate given the mounting threats sharks of all species are facing on a global scale. It's not an issue of pro-captivity or anti-captivity. It's an issue of principal.
1. No, I didn't realize that ALL great white sharks at Monterrey Bay were JUST captured for the trial of captive display. I had it in my mind that there were also injured individuals, maybe in other marine parks or aquarias. If not, then I must confess: I'm wrong and you're right. 2. Yes, whale shark have never been bred in captivity YET. But think at other species, where it took time until it works. If we don't get the practice/experience now, when then? What do you think is the bigger thread for this species? The few whale sharks captured for aquarias or the hundreds if not thousands died because of hunting, overfishing and pollution of the seas etc.? Beside that, I also wrote about manta rays. And those animals could have been bred already (e.g. Okinawa, Japan). 3. This phrase I've maybe not understand completely (sorry, English is not my native tongue). Do you mean that more and more shark species are threatened and so we should not keep them in captivity in general?
the original story was that the first great whites were accidentally caught in set-nets and "rescued" by the Aquarium. The truth may be a little more complex. Some have been deliberately caught for display, others were caught as "incidentals" in nets. There's an interesting article here from 2008: Great Whites on Display
Sorry to the moderators for getting off-topic. But what I intended in my statement was: it is not appropriate for aquaria to capture wild sharks for display if they are unable to breed them. Given the mounting pressures from commercial fishing by-catch & intentional harvesting for shark fin soup.
Well if it was a matter of breeding fish at this moment,then we could close ALL marine aquariums NOW...but then how would the techniques to do these things in future be developed? The present is formed by a myriad of jigsaw pieces from the past,there would be few zoos or aquariums if their forebears had not done what they did..and yes, many animals died without ever reproducing.And what of research? Some of which is only viable under captive protocols.Re. the Whale Sharks..even 30 years ago to keep them alive would have been thought impossible,as would the breeding of shark species that are now commonplace in captivity.To compare the rape of the oceans with the few sharks in public aquariums is unfair,if not ridiculous.
What it took to design the facade of the new expansion https://www.ehdd.com/post/pacific-visions-a-story-of-brand-and-architecture-as-one
