Georgia Aquarium Loses Second Whale Shark

you've already made your point numerous times, & obviously you're on the left side of "public opinion", however, those fish were about to be slaughtered. I cannot change such an opinion as closed minded as yours, but I do ask you how many million people have now seen those creatures and are now in "awe" of them? Don't ya think the first time a dolphin was kept in captivity there were issues? Don't ya think the first time a killer whale was kept in captivity there were issues? Don't ya think the first time that a home aquarist kept a acropora that there were issues? Sea Horses? Alligators? Pandas? etc?

Not all Zoo's are great. Not all Aquariums are great. Not all people are great. However, not everyone that differs in your opinion are evil either. 20 to 30 years ago, things like killer whales, dolphins and rays were getting the same comments from closed minded people like you. Now, it's "taken for granted"! What if we could get them to breed? WOW! 4 whale sharks that were going to be slaughted are saved, and now could save the species? Do you know anyone that works there? Does it really look, feel, & breath like a Petco? Come on, no one that has been there would "buy" your "CNN" point of view of the largest aquarium in the world. get a life. opinions on bloggs are a "dime a dozen"
 
Let's keep the thread on topic and not resort to personal attacks. Further violations will result in the thread being closed and the possibility of people losing their posting privileges here on RC.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11325644#post11325644 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
Wow, you really took that to the personal level, didnt you?
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sorry, didn't mean too! My writing expression sometimes comes across exagerated to make a point, and I don't realize that as I'm doing it. After I saw the unexpected responses, I realized that it probobly became too animated. I just reread it, and yes.......that was maybe magnified 1,000 X too strong & pointed. So, I apologize.
 
Do you accept my apology?
Ralph

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11326953#post11326953 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mysterybox
sorry, didn't mean too! My writing expression sometimes comes across exagerated to make a point, and I don't realize that as I'm doing it. After I saw the unexpected responses, I realized that it probobly became too animated. I just reread it, and yes.......that was maybe magnified 1,000 X too strong & pointed. So, I apologize.
Click to expand...
 
Sure. No problem. I think people's response when written lacks the meta-semantics that goes with a real conversation, so some people's words get 'painted' as being rather extreme when they really arent... its just a person's candor being taken as apathy, extremism, etc.

In the next year or so, I will most likely be moving to Marietta, and then you will know Im not as 'extreme' as my posts may suggest.

I have taken the 'behind the scenes' tours of the Shedd, Georgia, New England, Baltimore, and Monterrey Bay Aquariums, and the Georgia was the most 'commercial' of them all. Granted, its the newest, but Marcus set the place up to make money as a self-sustaining entity... as in, its there for profit somewhat (at least more so than ones like the Shedd that get city/state funding FOR research). The place is deep in corporate sponsorship as well, and some of the displays just made me think 'this is wrong'. Im sorry it sounds so extreme, but it wasnt like when I visit other public aquariums. All I can hope is that I am wrong, and that its a work in progress.

Of course, the other thing I wondered is 'how can they build the worlds largest aquarium in a city that is supposed to run out of water in 7 years or less?'

Well, guess what... several of the displays are being closed down, and drained to eliminate water use this year.
 
Actually, your facts are pretty off. I just finished writing the book on the Georgia Aquarium, have volunteered over 500 hours there, and am pretty familiar with the place.

No exhibits are closed down. We drained the water in the wishing well around the eating area to help during the drought.

Atlanta is not running out of water, and no reasonable person thinks that will happen in 7 years. This IS a drought, and it IS a large metropolitan area, but come on, hyperbole ala chicken little is not necessary.

I would LOVE to hear your ideas of how to quarrentine whale sharks.

All of the aquariums you mentioned are very good, and many of our staff come from there. You may also note that the main problem of most aquariums is debt load - something we did not want to be burdened with in the future. GAI does not make profit, but it does stay out of debt.

Look at the GAI website regarding our research, however it would be nuts to think that an aquarium that just opened would have research at that time. The first 1-2 years was devoted to opening and getting the exhibits in order, and now the research is starting more in full force. Shedd, while a great aquarium (built with Georgia marble, I might add, and also built by a big industrialist) has 100 years of history, so the comparisons are difficult, don't you think?
 
How to QT whale sharks... leave them be, lol. Its a large animal... most likely needs more than a football field to feel at home.

I heard that more than just the eating area water was removed... Ill have to recheck I suppose. I heard some displays were getting shut down as well. I havent been there since March though.

The Georgia water table is supposed to be 'tapped beyond capacity though' due to Atlantas rapid expansion... MSNBC, AP, and even CNN have reported on it. I dont know how unreasonable it is to believe considering every summer there is drought, Atlanta has a '3 month supply left'. Atlanta is part of the 30% that is supposed to be under "exceptional drought" territory now... so Id say its a matter of time. Sure, water conservation measures are in place, but that doesnt mean that building the worlds largest aquarium is a great idea. I thought Marcus might have run a pipeline directly from the ocean, and built a desalinization plant to sell water to the city when it runs low on water... but I guess not.

If an aquarium is new, and I agree... I wouldnt expect it to have much in the way of established research and 'getting the systems figured out'. But then wouldnt it be a good idea to wait on the 'tricky' species until a later date, when the aquarium doesnt have to risk as much?
 
So, other than feeling that:

The Georgia Aquarium should not have been built the way it is (but you still go to it),

Should not accept corporate money,

Should not have had whale sharks,

Should have spent billions on a pipeline and a desaltation plant 350 miles away,

Should obtain only the animals you feel appropriate and exercise the care you feel necessary on your timeline,

and we should worry about running out of water (even though this does not appear to dampen your move to Atlanta).

You have no other opinions? :)

There are realities in doing a project of this scale. Critiques from afar with inaccurrate information from everything from whale shark husbandry to desaltation plants are not useful.
 
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The water problems in Atlanta are related to their being reliant on one water source (Lake Lanier) and unchecked growth. It would seem that city planners and developers are to blame for that.

As far as quarantining a whale shark I personally don't have any revolutionary ideas on that. The point still stands that a basic concept with the health of animals in our care, whether it be in a zoo, aquarium or wherever is that one ALWAYS quarantines.
I imagine not quarantining the sharks was a matter of money because of the huge space required and the aquarium choose to take that risk (you can correct me if I am wrong SShindell). The Ga Aquarium still choose to try and keep those animals.
When one takes a risk like that in a public setting on a large scale and the consequences are not good one should be willing to accept a certain amount of criticism. Is some (most?) of the criticism based more on emotion and unfair? Sure it is. That being said IMO some criticisms are valid and well considered.
I will state once again the Ga Aquarium seems like a place with a great deal of potential and hopefully over the years some of the problems it has had in it's infancy can be worked out. I know I will personally go back when I have the time and I expect things will be improved upon from my last visit:)

Chris
 
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Thanks for your comments.

The whale sharks were available when they were available - there happened to be two caught by fisherman for food soon before the GAI opening and they met the size requirements for transportation. Four more were added later under the same cirumstances. They were held in an outdoor enclosure to ensure they were eating and healthy, and then transported from Taiwan to Atlanta (a LONG trip). There was no where to put them that would be appropriate other than in their final destination.

The four whale sharks that are in the exhibit are doing great. The exhibit is 3 times the size of the whale shark exhibit in Asia. One of their whale sharks has been there 12 years.

Aquariums are always evolving. It takes a while to get them dialed in. It is not like you buy these animals off the shelf.

Steve
 
just curious how on gods green earth do you move a whale shark from the ocean to an aquarium?
 
You charter a 747 from UPS ;)

Really, that's what they did. My understanding is that UPS actually donated the flight service. The rest is really, really big holding vats.
 
They actually made an hour long TV program out of it. I can't remember which channel it was on but I'm guessing Discovery or Animal Planet. I happened upon it late one night a while back.....very interesting:)

Chris
 
Yeah it was aired on PBS too, sometimes. Urm, I think. Anyways the documentary is available on DVD, called "Window to Wow." It's pretty good; I bought it in a two pack with another documentary called "Two + Two = WOW!" that they made when they got two more whale sharks - but it's basically the same as the first. Still, the first is worth watching cuz you can see them transport the whale sharks on the huge containers in the cargo plane, and the huge police escort to the aquarium from the airport... and also how they trasnported the beluga whales and how they built the aquarium, etc... fun stuff.

Yeah UPS donated all the transport, each time (three flights to transport the six sharks, so far.)
 
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