Griffith
With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Most of you probably don't know this, but I'm a Shark fiend; I've been facinated by them, studied them, and drawn them since I can honestly remember. So today was very strange for me, the only way I can describe the anticipation I felt was that it was like I was going to meet God.
Because today I was fortunate enough to meet a Great White Shark, probably the most interesting, and if not, the most famous, shark of them all. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has one on exhibit (that's my own photo, it sucks, but you try photographing a Great White in a million gallon tank in a dark room ;)), and has had it in captivity, in good health, for over three months. This is a big deal if you know anything about Great Whites, I think before this the longest one has survived in captivity was 16 days, if I'm not mistaken. Anyway, it's a huge breakthrough in their ability to study them. I started talking sharks with some of the Aquarium personal and learned that they hope to be able to keep her and study her for the next two years before returning her to the wild. She's been doing great in the Outer Bay tank and seems to be both physically and mentally fine. They say as long as things remain that way, she'll stay in the tank until her size becomes an issue. Right now she's only about five feet, a quarter of her potential growth, and I'm told they don't want to risk keeping her past even six or seven, depending on her behavior. Even at a million gallons, the Outer Bay tank would not be large enough to safely contain her at that size, and the people I talked to were even skeptical that they could even build a tank capable of housing her anywhere near full size. Too bad, I'd love to go in there one day and see her at 10-20 feet. 8)
I'm still hopeful they'll show her the money and go all out to build a super tank capable of displaying a full grown Great White, but I'm not counting on it. Anyway, they're studying her round the clock and the next two years should be extrordinary ones in the field of shark research. I suggest anybody in the bay area go and see her while you can.
http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/whiteshark.asp
I'm still hopeful they'll show her the money and go all out to build a super tank capable of displaying a full grown Great White, but I'm not counting on it. Anyway, they're studying her round the clock and the next two years should be extrordinary ones in the field of shark research. I suggest anybody in the bay area go and see her while you can.
http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/whiteshark.asp
