Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
The first step in shark collecting: laying a delicious chum line
of ground mackerel. (Photo by author)
vice, water supersaturated with pure oxygen was pumped by a small
submersible pump sitting in the narrow transport tank.
Surprisingly, this improvised low-tech system worked and the blue
sharks we practiced with were as lively as could be. We'd capture them
and hold them in the long, narrow tank on board—facetiously nick-
named the “shark co‹n”—for a couple of hours and then release them.
We found, too, that they became quite docile and relaxed when held
upside down and became active again when righted, and on being
released they would take o¤ swimming just like a normal, healthy
shark.
The behind-the-scenes holding tank at Sea World was finally ready
and the water system turned on. Now came our chance to see how well
a blue shark would do. “Gator” Bill Ervin and I went out a couple of
miles o¤ Mission Bay (where Sea World is located), laid our chum line
of delicious mackerel juice, and waited. Pretty soon a six-foot shark
showed up o¤ the stern. Using a heavy nylon hand line, I tossed out
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