White Shark Holding Pen Is Back Off the Malibu Coast

• Research Team Is Another Indicator of the Acknowledgement of Whites’ Local Population

BY ANNE SOBLE

The Monterey Bay Aquarium had originally announced that it would not put another young white shark on display until its Outer Bay exhibit was redesigned, but that work has been delayed, and the MBA shark pen is now back in Malibu waters waiting for a likely subject.
MBA spokesperson Ken Peterson told the Malibu Surfside News, “We’re hoping to have another young white shark with us this fall and, as in the past, for as long as she/he is doing well in Monterey.”
Peterson noted that the “field team has already tagged and released three young animals in Southern California waters.” The tagging is an integral part of MBA’s overall white shark research efforts, as data from tagged animals sheds light on feeding, breeding and travel patterns.
Peterson said the aquarium’s game plan remains the same, despite the later than usual startup, to take in healthy juvenile specimens that have been caught, often inadvertently, in the nets of area fishing crews.
However, this year, the MBA spokesperson said, “We will be doing more fishing on our own—the better to know the condition of the young shark from the moment it’s caught until we’re ready to consider bringing it to Monterey.”
A contender for potential display will remain in the four-million gallon floating mesh enclosure until the scientific team has determined it can handle the rigors of transport and tank life.
Monterey Bay Aquarium has selected four juvenile whites for the truck ride north in a special 3000-gallon aquarium on wheels since 2004. Three remained in captivity for periods of four to six months before being released in Monterey Bay, usually after beginning to show signs of stress and decimating the ranks of other species in the exhibit.
Prior to their release, the sharks were equipped with monitoring devices that transmit the detailed tracking data, which is available for viewing on MBA’s Web site.
The fourth shark selected, a small, young female, ate only once in 11 days and, out of concern for her well-being, was returned to local waters. According to MBA, “She too did well after release, during the short period for which we have tag data.” The shark’s tag was shed prematurely.
The aquarium maintains that the exhibited sharks are emissaries for their conservation and help to counterbalance the demonization of the animals prevalent in the mass media. More information on the MBA program is available at www.montereybay aquarium.org/cr/whiteshark.aspx