yessongs I am not quite sure, but I think that most if not all sharks are warm blooded to some extent. Maybe someone can chime in and let us know for sure. The tunas in the exhibit are warm blooded as well, and we have been studying them since '96.
Scuba Dog I dont know if it is really problems per say with the press. Since day one we have been up fron with everyone about what has been happening, good or bad, and they take it and do what they want withthe information. Some print both sides of the story, some dont. I think it is still that mistique that the GWS carries that it is eating everything it sets its eyes on. If it were hungry and wanted to actaully eat an animal, it would finnish the job it started, not just one bite.
Putawaywet I think we have gotten to the point that we are pretty well dug in as well. Especially with the events in the past few weeks, they are still going with the day-to-day basis, becuase there is a chance that she could start eating the Bonnito or anytinng else in there. Her being the only one in captivity this long, we are writting the book as we go along. Not one person I have talked to that is involved has said anything about her leaving. If anything they are more encouraged now that she is displaying some natural reactions. The admin likes this kind of business because they dont have to lay anyone off either, which they have had to do may times before. Being a non-profit means that we are able to help out the marine biologists all over the world with what she is bringing in. Do the employess get a piece of that money that is coming in, nope. No one works at MBA for the money, they work there because they believe in the cause.
Where it ends, I am not sure. We have three curators, and they would ultimately make that decission on weather she stays or goes. I am sure they will consult Manny(head shark guy at MBA), but they make that decission together. Everyone wants a date that she will be leaving or a situation in which we will remover her, but neither exist. Until recently all they had to really worry about was her health, and not her actions as there were no real problems with how she was acting. So to answer your question, I dont know.
But I imagine there will not be any serious thought of taking her out unless she has a major incident. Soup fin doesnt count as major, that is minor.
125reef Not a problem at all. I live in North Salinas. Just north of Boronda, kinda by that KFC on Main St.
saturnkk There is no need to worry about her size, she is still small. We are going public with the size of 5 feet 6 inches and a weight of 100lbs, or course these are all estimates. If GWS grow at 12 inches per year(which is the current thinking), it would be maybe three to five years until she out grows her current tank. Right now on Cannerey Row, where MBA is located, there is a building freeze. The Outer Bay Wing that has the million exhibit was built back in '96 and cost $57 million. So even if they decided to build a $50 million protion of the aquarium all for her, it would be nixed by the city. We do own the property directly behind OBW, but it goes down Cannerey Row. Has she generated that much intrest, no. You also have to remember that we have a lot of members, of 57K houses. Most if not all those folks have been to see her, some multiple times. We have defenately seen an increase in those that are paying to get in, but nothing like what it would take to build a new wing/exhibit. This is all way to much to keep just one animal. If/when she gets too big, she will be simply released. So I guess I just gave everyone a date(unofficially of course). Plans are already in the works for this summer, for a couple of things really.
