5th June 2006 - Two new whale sharks in captivity!
Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta
As many are aware, one of the few places in the world where whale sharks are kept in captivity is in the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, USA (opened in November 2005). The controversy of keeping such large creatures (two whale sharks) in an enclosed aquarium (even if the tank is the biggest in the world - measuring 33 FEET at the max depth [Ref: Georgia Aquarium visitors guide]) is now being fuelled by the addition of two new female sharks to the two young males already present.
CNN article & video feed:http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/06/04/aquarium.sharks/index.html?section=cnn_latestA home video of the sharks:The following 18 second video of the first two whale sharks was recorded and put online by Andrew J. Fraser:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6334523722077544014The Controversy:The controversy of keeping the whale sharks in this aquarium has been outlined by Jeff Dudas in the UnderwaterTimes forum:
http://www.underwatertimes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1838THE DISCUSSION:The scientific community is divided between those arguing that keeping these animals in captivity is beneficial for research and education purposes, and others that are concerned for the welfare of this wild, massive and highly migratory species.
It is imperative to keep in mind that this aquarium, although relatively large, is only 33 feet deep, and whale sharks have been recorded to dive to depths of at least 1500m!! In addition, whale sharks travel thousands of kilometres across the world’s oceans.
Is it right to keep these wild animals in such a confined space - like a goldfish bowl for whale sharks?
