An adult great white shark captured earlier this week died after three days at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, the aquarium said Friday.
The aquarium had said the exhibit was likely the first in the world to feature an adult great white shark. The male shark had been caught in a fixed net off the village of Yomitan in Okinawa prefecture on Monday and was taken to the aquarium the following day.
- An adult great white shark swims inside a tank at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan earlier this week.
- Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
A keeper at the aquarium had said the shark hadn’t eaten anything since it arrived, and was being taught how to swim inside the tank without crashing into the walls.
The shark appeared to be adjusting to the tank “but its condition took a sudden turn for the worse early this morning,” an aquarium spokeswoman said. After appearing to have difficulties swimming, the great white was removed from the tank and treated by veterinarians.
The spokeswoman said the aquarium is still investigating the cause of death.
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This news story makes me so sick to my stomach. This is the perfect example of why you don't take beautiful, rare animals out of their natural environment to be an exhibit. This shark probably starved himself to death on purpose to avoid being a spectacle for the public.
Great Whites can't survive in an aquarium. They should be charged for a crime. They killed the shark. They are supposed to be professionals. The shark died because it was captured and put in an aquarium. Who ever did this and who ever is in charge needs to be fired. Idiots. We've known for years that Great Whites can't survive in tanks, period. You are criminals! Murderers. Period!
Is there any country, in the present day, that has had a more egregious effect on large sea fauna than Japan? If we are going to move forward as a species, we will eventually have to leave silly superstitions and traditions behind, like shark fin soup, whale and dolphin meat, and whatever they use gorilla paws and bear gallbladders for. Tradition is the dumbest reason for doing anything. You want to do something because your ancestors did it? As my mom would ask, "if they jumped off bridges then, would you jump off bridges today?"
if someone from any other country did this they would be punished to the fullest extent of the law but japan and china have been getting away with this for decades
Looks like it was looking for the nearest exit.