Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
“Big Emma,” the ten-foot sevengill shark, impresses the crowd. (Photo
© 2000 Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation. All rights reserved.)
Bay. She was herded over to the side of the exhibit and maneu-
vered into the same transport box she had arrived in four years
earlier. The transport tank was then lifted out, lowered into the
collecting boat, Lucile, and taken out into the bay.
Emma was tagged with an external identifying tag and released.
On October, 16, 1996, in Humboldt Bay, two years and four
months after her release in Monterey, a sportfisherman captured
Emma. She had returned to the very same bay she came from six
years before. We were sad to hear that she'd been killed, but it was
heartening to know that an animal like that can survive quite well
when released back to the wild.
Over the years several aquariums have released a number of fishes
and sharks. Unlike on land, where visibility is good and radio-
tagged animals can be followed, we've rarely known how well these
released fishes have survived. We've always assumed they did fine
because we thought they'd readily revert to their instincts for sur-
vival, but we've rarely had proof.
In the case of Emma, with her external tag and subsequent re-
capture, we have positive proof that not only did she survive, but
she thrived. In addition, she undertook a truly remarkable mi-
Search WWH ::




Custom Search