Monterey Bay Aquarium & Great White

[Reefugee]

http://www.montereybayaquarium.com/whiteshark/

It looks like MBA has another white shark. I plan on being down close to MBA next weekend for some diving, so I might have to make a visit to the aquarium.

"For only the second time, there's a healthy young white shark in our Outer Bay exhibit. 5 feet 8 inches long and 104 pounds, he arrived on August 31 and is making himself right at home in the million-gallon exhibit. Each day he's here, he'll teach us more about white sharks and how we can protect these thrillingâ€"and threatenedâ€"animals in the wild."

 

[thereefgeek]

That is so cool! Check out the live webcam 7a-7p:
http://www.montereybayaquarium.com/efc/efc_outerbay/outerbay_cam.asp

 

[UCDgogie]

dang it..i went there earlier in the summer, shouldve waited a little longer..haha

 

[goslugsgo]

Go see it. It's an oportunity to see a white up close without having to clean out your wetsuit afterward and should not be missed.

 

[SharkBait916]

Reefgeek...Love your new avatar! Jeni-me rocks!

 

[goslugsgo]

Yup, and that too.

 

[wombat2]

This is a thread worth reading:

http://www.underwatertimes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=266

 

[BlueCorn]

Considering that the shark was released and was documented to have been doing well in the wild most of that thread is a joke.

 

[wombat2]

Which part is a joke?

 

[wombat2]

More to the point, how is a thread with responses direct from a staff member of the MBA about the health of the shark a "joke"? I thought it was an interesting discussion.

<confused>

 

[RasBobre]

Joke?

Joke?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8070451#post8070451 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by beerguy
Considering that the shark was released and was documented to have been doing well in the wild most of that thread is a joke.

I just read all seven pages of the thread wombat2 provided which I found all very interesting with the exception of the dialogue about a posters credentials "a joke".

I have found many a posters "credentials" a joke here on Reef Central.

MBA never tried to hide anything about the health of the shark and released it when they found it appropriate. People being concerned about the health of animals in public aquariums, zoo's or the pony rides at the faire have a right to voice their concerns.

Thanks for providing the link wombat, I was unaware of the Underwater Times forum and found more interesting readings. None were a joke.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8062956#post8062956 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefugee
http://www.montereybayaquarium.com/whiteshark/

Each day he's here, he'll teach us more about white sharks and how we can protect these thrillingâ€"and threatenedâ€"animals in the wild."

If MBA's intention is to study the shark and release it when it is appropriate and can educate people at the same time, more power to them as long as it doesn't threaten the animal.

No joke.

 

[wombat2]

Word!

I found that thread extremely informative. Is it worth one shark's life to educate a million people about sharks? The ethics of keeping a great white shark, or any sensitive and endangered animal, in captivity are important to me. I hope that they are important to every keeper of a reef tank as well.

 

[WarrenG]

It's like the value of an orca for a theme park-huge revenues that subsidize the rest of the park. Dolphins too. I've snorkeled and dove where dolphins were swimming and playing as they pleased, in an area a hundred times the size of any theme park enclosure, and going down 200+ feet. Once you've seen them swimming and playing in the wild you never want to see them at a park again.

 

[thereefgeek]

True, seeing marine life in a tank can't compare to seeing it first hand in the ocean, but I think I'd like to have 3" of acrylic between myself and the latest addition to the Outer Bay Exhibit!

 

[BlueCorn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8078403#post8078403 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WarrenG
It's like the value of an orca for a theme park-huge revenues that subsidize the rest of the park. Dolphins too. I've snorkeled and dove where dolphins were swimming and playing as they pleased, in an area a hundred times the size of any theme park enclosure, and going down 200+ feet. Once you've seen them swimming and playing in the wild you never want to see them at a park again.

Since when did Monterey Aquarium and MBARI become theme park?

 

[WarrenG]

There has been a HUGE increase in revenues (and publicity) during the times when the MA has had a great white in captivity...

 

[BlueCorn]

Exactly. Have you looked to see where that money has gone? I consider funding research that helps prevent animal deaths, i.e. the TOPP program www.toppcensus.org, a worthy endeavor. This isn't "Sea World" it's a 501c corporation that funds a huge amount of research. Their financials are no secret:

http://www.mbayaq.org/aa/financials.asp

 

[WarrenG]

No question they do lots of nice things. Just because a corp. is a 501C says almost nothing about how much they spend on salaries and where their money goes.

Excerpts from their 2005 Annual Report...

SUPPORT AND REVENUES:
Admissions $ 23,302,000
Contributions and grants 7,741,000
Memberships 6,478,000

(others omitted)
EXPENSES:

Education and outreach 5,366,000
Conservation and research 4,630,000

Guest services and marketing 5,486,000

Support services:
Membership services 1,171,000
Management and general 4,029,000
Development 1,272,000

(others omitted)

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS (2005) 10,619,000

They have NET assets of more than $230 million dollars.


Their revenues from grants, contributions, and memberships were in excess of their stated expenses for research, conservation, education, and similar. Admissions revenue really didn't affect their (philanthropic) contributions in a significant way. Assets increased by $10million dollars last year. No telling what some extra revenue would do this year.

Are you satisfied with the proportion/amount of money they spent on research, outreach, conservation, and education?

 

[BlueCorn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8083942#post8083942 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WarrenG
Are you satisfied with the proportion/amount of money they spent on research, outreach, conservation, and education?

Yes I am.

 

[Reefugee]

It's $10M more than if they didn't exist. Also - there are non-quantifiable benefits that a dollar amount cannot be attributed to. How many kids learned that sharks aren't necessarily the evil monster that Jaws made them out to be? How many kids learned that it's important to protect our environment? How many people see aquatic life that they would otherwise never get the opportunity to see?

BTW - you failed to mention that the operation cost is $19M. Half of the MBA income goes to operation. I can totally believe it for an Aquarium of that size!

I guess I am very happy with the MBA. I will continue with my membership.

Minh

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8083942#post8083942 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WarrenG
Are you satisfied with the proportion/amount of money they spent on research, outreach, conservation, and education?