Catch and Release

The fourth White Shark at the Monterey Bay Aquarium has been released after only 11 days on exhibit. I was going to go see her next week ... oh well saw the other three.

From an e-mail from the MBA ...

After 11 days on exhibit, the young white shark brought to the Aquarium last month was tagged and released to the wild on September 7 in offshore waters in the Santa Barbara Channel.

While she was swimming well in the million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit, the shark fed only once during her stay and the Aquarium’s animal care staff decided it was best to return her to the ocean.

"These decisions are always governed by our concern for the health and well-being of these animals under our care," said Jon Hoech, director of husbandry for the Aquarium. "On Saturday, it became clear that it was time to release her."

Interesting that she was released in the Santa Barbara Channel rather than the Monterey Bay like the previous sharks. Maybe has to do with the time of year she was released? Anyone know?

Photo by Flickr user and friend of the store baltus15 used under a Creative Commons License