Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Goodbye to a Great White

It's been a big news week for sharks, with the loss of the Georgia Aquarium star, Ralph the whale shark, followed by a bit of good news. The second great white shark kept successfully in captivity was released into the Pacific. The Monterey Bay Aquarium released the unnamed male, two meters long and weighing 77.5 kg, with a tracking tag attached to let scientists follow him for the next 90 days. The shark was brought to the aquarium after being netted by fishermen on August 31, 2006. The only other great white kept more than 16 days in captivity was also housed at Monterey Bay. Great whites can, in exceptional cases, reach over 7 meters as adults.

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