Georgia Aquarium Loses Second Whale Shark

[TypicalNoah]

OK - I wanted to be the first to post about this (I think I am). As some of you may know, the Georgia Aquarium, which opened in November 2005 in Atlanta as the largest aquarium in the world, has experienced another tragic loss. Norton, the second of the aquarium's male whale sharks, was humanely euthanized when he become too ill to swim (laying on the bottom) yesterday, 6/13.

See the CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/06/13/whale.shark.dies.ap/index.html

Now I happen to volunteer at the GA Aquarium, and I also know a member of the dive department. I'd witnessed the declining health of Norton. As the article mentions, Ralph (the first male to pass away) and Norton had both been exposed to a chemical treatment used to kill parasites. This affected them in the long-term, in a negative and unpredicted way. Trixie and Alice were not exposed to this treatment, and have not been showing signs of illness.

I know that we marine aquarium keepers will always sympathize with the responsible aquarist, but I just wanted to reinforce that from an observer's point of view. Everything was done to help these whale sharks after this terrible side effect developed while their health continued to decline. Very little is known about whale sharks, let alone their captive care! Hopefully this tragedy will NOT happen again.

Just wanted to get that out. I'll try to find out as much as I can.

 

[iCam]

Re: Georgia Aquarium Loses Second Whale Shark

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10143750#post10143750 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TypicalNoah
OK - I wanted to be the first to post about this (I think I am).

Think again

 

[drummereef]

Either way, it's very sad.

 

[TypicalNoah]

They got two new ones though

The two original females are both over 20 feet long now, but when they first got them they were around 13/15 feet, and that's how big thew new guys are...
Yushan, 13' 7"
Taroko, 15' 4"

My friend in the dive department was in there with them on wednesday and she said they were SOOOO cute... She said the smaller one was chasing the cow nose rays around, hahaha!

 

[Steven Pro]

Does anyone know what was the chemical that they previously used to treat for parasties?

 

[Bebo77]

i say just let them be...

 

[TypicalNoah]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10149236#post10149236 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bebo77
i say just let them be...

Check the other thread... They would have been killed otherwise. They were caught by Taiwanese fisherman, and GAI bought them. Taiwan has an allowable catch of 30 whale sharks this year, which legislation has finally been able to reduce to 0 by 2008.


Anyways, no I don't know about the chemical; I posted in the reef chemistry forum, but no chemical identities yet... Some people listed off a few possibilities:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1142193

Again, they say it was a commonly used treatment... Perhaps it WAS a form of copper...

 

[Bebo77]

save it? do you really think they saved it? i dont see why anyone is still hunting whales...

 

[TypicalNoah]

Yeah, I "think" they did. They BOUGHT them from the fishermen. Those were 2 of the 30 they're allowed to catch this year, by law at least. If you want to express your feelings that law isn't always followed, then sure, I agree. In this case, the fishermen accepted because they were probably offered more money for them alive by GA Aquarium than they would have made for themselves, by killing the animals.

 

[billsreef]

Well, considering that would have died for sure had the GA Aqaurium not brought them...and they did try and keep them alive and healthy, however, even the pro's sometimes fail. Only difference here between them and a bunch of hardcore hobbyist loosing fish due to disease/treatment issues is the scale and the publicity.

 

[jgb23]

I remember reading this article and thinking "Why would you ever want to take a creature that is nomadic in nature and put it in a giant fish tank?" Just because they bought them from fishermen that would have normally killed them does not mean they saved them...they just drew out their final demise.
Just because you can build a display to hold whale sharks doesnt mean that you should.
Just my .02 though

 

[TypicalNoah]

save1 /seɪv/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[seyv] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, saved, sav·ing, noun
â€"œverb (used with object)
1. to rescue from danger or possible harm, injury, or loss: to save someone from drowning.
2. to keep safe, intact, or unhurt; safeguard; preserve: God save the king.
3. to keep from being lost: to save the game.
4. to avoid the spending, consumption, or waste of: to save fuel.
5. to keep, as for reuse: to save leftovers for tomorrow's dinner.
6. to set aside, reserve, or lay by: to save money.
7. to treat carefully in order to reduce wear, fatigue, etc.: to save one's eyes by reading under proper light.

 

[chrisqueenz]

Wow, the more we know the beeter we can help.

 

[chrisqueenz]

Are Whale sharks kept in captivity with much success?

 

[TypicalNoah]

Kinda hard to say; there's only 5 places in the world that keep them. GA and Japan are two; I don't know the others off the top of my head.

 

[chrisqueenz]

Have they kept them with any success?

 

[billsreef]

Yes. Japan has kept them with success and Georgia's first two are still going strong.

 

[antonsemrad]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10191089#post10191089 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jgb23
"Why would you ever want to take a creature that is nomadic in nature and put it in a giant fish tank?"
Just because you can build a display to hold whale sharks doesnt mean that you should.
Just my .02 though

I respectfully disagree.

These sharks become martyrs for others. It gives us a chance to witness what they are like. And, for some reason, seeing one on a screen just isn't the same.

It gives us a chance to care. (however miniscule that chance is)

My $.02

 

[loosecannon]

If so little is known about keeping this shark in captived they shoud not put ther lives at risk! The fisherman just went out and got two moor! The aquarium killed them and than got two moor! hey billsreer it`s a big differnce between losing a molly and a vary rare whale shark! i agrey with j9b23. p. s. if you care , you tag and let it GO!

 

[billsreef]

loosecannon,

Those whale sharks were part of Taiwan's annual quota for catching whale sharks. They were not in addition to the quota, but merely sold to the aquarium vs. being sold to the food market. Had the aquarium not brought them, they would have died for sure. In this case, the aquarium tried to keep them alive, but unfortunately those two had an adverse reaction to the drug used to remove parasites that they were infected with. Having a legal fishery with quota's for whale sharks is another discussion entirely.