White Shark Released to the Wild

A young white shark brought to the Monterey Bay Aquarium on August 27, was tagged and released on September 7. While she was swimming well in the million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit, the shark fed only one time 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."

As with three other white sharks exhibited at the Aquarium, she carried a tracking tag to document her movements after release. The tag popped free on October 8, four months ahead of schedule, and was recovered near San Miguel Island in the Santa Barbara Channel on October 23. Data from the tag shows that she remained in waters around the Channel Islands, where we released her on September 7, and that she was doing well in the wild.

Monterey Bay Aquarium remains the only aquarium in the world ever to exhibit the ocean’s top predator for more than 16 days. Our first shark was with us for 6 ½ months; our second, for 4 ½ months; our third for 5 months. All were successfully returned to the wild.

We've tagged 18 other young sharks in the wild in Southern California waters as part of our white shark field project, and support research to track the migrations of adult white sharks tagged off the Farallon Islands and Point Año Nuevo on California's central coast.

• Read our press release

	Why White Sharks Need Our Help Overfishing, trophy hunting, habitat destruction—all have contributed to a devastating decline in the white shark population worldwide. Here at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we're working to turn the tide. We're learning more about white sharks and supporting policies to protect them in the wild. You can help. Donate now to help
	We're Learning a Lot Observing a white shark face to face is exciting for visitors—and helpful for scientists. But it's just a small part of our white shark project. Studying white sharks in the wild is even more important and intriguing. Together with our research partners, we’re learning more every day about their habits, travels, and their unique role in the ocean ecosystem. Find out more

Tagging of Pacific Predators The Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) project helps reveal the hidden lives of white sharks in the wild. In 2005 the Aquarium provided $500,000 that helped TOPP scientists tag 29 adult white sharks. In 2006, we contributed another $200,000, and 41 more white sharks were tagged. Most of the pop-up satellite tags from 2005 have "phoned home" with truly exciting data. The Secret Lives of White Sharks: A Closer Look

Take Action! You can make a difference for white sharks and other ocean wildlife—and it's easy to do! Join our Ocean Action Team. Follow guidelines from Seafood Watch.