Article by LBPOSTSports.com columnist Ryan Thies. Photos by Stacy Starr.
If you’ve been to the Aquarium of the Pacific’s Shark Lagoon in the last month you have noticed that something is different. There is something new, separated from the other sharks. It’s about 5 feet long, with distinct stripes on its back. And it’s probably the first one of its kind that you’ve ever seen. It is a Tiger Shark and to say that it is rare would be an understatement- the AoP’s Tiger pup is currently the only one in captivity in the mainland US.
There’s a fear and an awe that usually accompanies seeing a shark. The awe of course comes from the sheer power, grace, and longevity; and the fear of course comes from a certain film that need not be named here (one can’t help but wonder: if Mr. Spielberg knew what his film would do to an entire species, would he reconsider ever making it?)
Just in the time it will take you to read this, 1000 sharks will be killed. Give it an hour and it will be more than 11,000; give it a day and it will be nearly 300,000; give it a year and it will be more than 100 million. This pup could very easily have been one of those. Instead, like all lucky creatures, she ended up in Long Beach.
Her journey began in Taiwan, when a fisherman captured a pregnant female. The pup was born there but needed a new home and fortunately Long Beach was willing to give it to her. In February, after a long flight to LAX, she then needed to put up with the 405- I think we can relate- but she eventually made it safely to the Aquarium of the Pacific. She spent a few months behind the scenes before, about a month ago, growing large enough that she needed to join the exhibit and is now on full display.
At first glance you’ll notice that she is different than anything else you’ve ever seen. In fact, despite the similar name, she is practically the polar opposite of someone already in the tank: the Sand Tiger. A dark, menacing figure, the Sand Tiger has become the unofficial mascot of sharks in captivity- not only because of its size but because it swims with its mouth open, exposing a set of huge razor sharp teeth. The Sand Tiger looks as deadly as we assume all sharks to be, and yet turns out to be about as harmless as anything its size could be.
Instead the new Tiger is small (although she will eventually grow to about 14 ft and weigh nearly a ton,) but she is quick and frankly a little bit dangerous. She looks like she simply outgrew the touch-pool, but Tiger sharks’ claim to fame is their willingness to eat anything. Her body is more barrel shaped than any shark you’ve seen, her head less pointed, her eyes more cat-like. She can see you.
In fact that excellent vision has posed a problem for the Aquarium staff. You’ll notice that her area has striped-walls to make it easier for her to distinguish the sides of the exhibit; and when her temporary walls come down, and she gains free-reign throughout the entire area, those striped-walls will probably need to be expanded around the entire lagoon.
Her famous willingness to eat anything also poses some problems of its own. If a species can eat any of a hundred different things, they also tend to get sick of eating the same thing over and over again. The Aquarium has had to experiment with over 30 different foods to see which one she wants to eat today- yesterday it was steak, today it was skip jack, and who knows what it will be tomorrow.
Because she was born- and now is being raised- in captivity, she will never be released into the wild. Instead she will be what the Aquarium’s Sandy Trautwein referred to as “an ambassador.” This Tiger shark will be a reminder that these creatures need to be saved from us far more than we need to be saved from them. Says Trautwein: “The myths of certain creatures, the looks of certain creatures, make it necessary to educate the public about them.”
Because Tiger sharks are so rare, the Aquarium of the Pacific is treading uncharted waters, if you’ll excuse the expression. The Aquarium has the rare opportunity to spend a lifetime learning about a creature that we know so little about. And they are using that opportunity to educate us- and themselves- in the process.
In the wild, Tiger sharks are considered one of the two or three most dangerous simply because they live near humans and because they examine by biting. But in the Aquarium, this Tiger pup is just another stray that was lucky she showed up on our door. We have taken her in, are caring for her, learning from her, and are just as lucky to have her. It’s not too much to say this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a Tiger Shark. And it’s important to remember all that we can do for her: not buying shark products, not buying shark-fin soup, not supporting restaurants or companies that support shark finning.
This is going to be the first chance that most visitors have ever seen a Tiger shark- and unless we learn from this opportunity- it could be our last.
Special thanks to the Aquarium’s Sandy Trautwein and Nam Ly for their help