11.10.2006

I'm evil, I know . . . but I couldn't resist

I saw this story while cruising the web a few weeks ago. Okay, I was working, yes . . . but my job requires visual stimulus in order to keep me on my creative edge. I KNEW it would freak out Chris (son in law) and to my considerable credit, I did not post this blog THEN.

. . . so, yeah . . . I've really just been too busy to do it, but at least I didn't freak out Chris, alright? Well, that was until today. And then I read his blog about the Atlanta Aquarium. I know Chris better than to say he bragged about NOT freaking out, but needless to say, I believe he was proud of himself for standing there and photographing the large whale sharks that inhabit the 6 million gallon tank.

But let's get serious . . . When we talk about sharks, we're really talking about A SINGLE SPECIES of shark. An we're not talking some lame 80's hair band whose only real contribution in the last 15 years were greatest hit albums covering the previous 8 years . . . we're talking about the Great White.

Sometime in September, a small great white was caught in a fishing net off the coast of California, and has now spent about two months in captivity. This is the longest by far of any great white, besting the previous record of a mere 16 days. So far, she hasn't begun to nibble on any of the other fish in her tank . . .

Okay . . . this picture will give you a good idea of the actual size of this beast, about 4 feet long.




Now I have taken great care to arrange this page so that you'll have to scroll down to see the rest of the pictures.

Chris . . . slide your chair back from the computer.








Here she is taking food from one of the staff. Since Great Whites are "lungers" the food needs to be placed on a pole to be presented to her. And, she's just as likely to take a piece of the pole as the food . . .













After spending a few weeks at a "halfway house" enclosure in open seas, she was moved to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. Here she is in a mobile holding tank during the move.













Finally, she was set loose in the million gallon tank at the aquarium. A a female, she could grow to over 20 feet in length, and is is unclear how long she will be able to remain in captivity.













As Steve would say "Isn't she a little beauty. Just a magnificent animal."