The great white shark, an apex predator, captures widespread human fascination. This often leads to a desire to observe these creatures in aquariums. However, successfully keeping great white sharks in captivity has proven impossible.
Past Captivity Attempts
Efforts to house great white sharks in aquariums have a long history, consistently resulting in short-term stays and eventual failure. One of the earliest documented attempts was in 1955 at Marineland of the Pacific in Los Angeles, where a great white survived for less than a day. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, various aquariums, including SeaWorld and Steinhart Aquarium, made numerous attempts. Most sharks perished within days or were released due to declining health. For instance, a great white at SeaWorld San Diego in 1981 lasted 16 days but refused to eat.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium made significant efforts, beginning in the early 2000s. Between 2004 and 2011, they exhibited six young great white sharks for temporary periods. The longest successful stay was 198 days for a young female. These sharks were typically released when they began to exhibit concerning behaviors or grew too large. Despite these dedicated attempts, the program was ultimately discontinued in 2011 due to challenges and ethical concerns.
Unique Physiological Needs
Great white sharks possess distinct physiological requirements that make captivity unsuitable for their survival. A primary reason is their reliance on obligate ram ventilation for respiration. Unlike many fish that can pump water over their gills while stationary, great white sharks must swim continuously and rapidly to force oxygen-rich water through their mouths and over their gills. In a confined tank, even a large one, they cannot maintain the necessary speed and consistent forward movement, leading to insufficient oxygen intake and eventual suffocation.
Their need for vast oceanic spaces also poses a significant challenge. Great white sharks are highly migratory, traversing hundreds or even thousands of miles across ocean basins in search of prey and for other life cycle events. Even the largest aquarium tanks, holding millions of gallons of water, are minuscule compared to their natural habitat. They cannot provide the extensive open areas and deep waters these predators require.
Furthermore, great white sharks have sensitive sensory systems, including electroreception via ampullae of Lorenzini, which are adapted for the complex open ocean environment. In an artificial tank, these sensitive organs can be overwhelmed or disrupted by electrical signals from pumps and other equipment, leading to disorientation and stress. Maintaining the precise and stable water quality, temperature, and salinity conditions required for such a large, active marine predator in an artificial environment presents considerable logistical and financial difficulties.
Complex Behavioral Requirements
The intricate behavioral patterns of great white sharks are profoundly disrupted by confinement, contributing significantly to their inability to thrive in captivity. Their natural predatory behavior involves complex hunting strategies, such as ambush attacks and the pursuit of large, live prey. Replicating this natural diet and the stimulus of the hunt is very difficult in an aquarium setting, often leading to feeding issues where captive sharks refuse to eat or accept non-live food.
Confinement induces significant stress in these highly migratory and solitary animals. When restricted to a tank, great white sharks often exhibit abnormal behaviors such as repetitive swimming patterns, lethargy, or aggression. This psychological distress is a consistent observation in captive specimens. While often considered solitary, great white sharks do exhibit complex social behaviors and dominance hierarchies in the wild, particularly around feeding areas. The artificial environment of a tank cannot replicate these dynamics, potentially leading to increased stress or aggression towards tank mates or the tank walls.
The absence of natural stimuli, such as varying currents, diverse topography, and the full spectrum of ocean life, further contributes to their distress and behavioral abnormalities. These animals are adapted to a dynamic environment, and the static nature of an aquarium tank deprives them of the sensory and physical challenges that are essential for their natural existence.
Consequences of Confinement
The physical and psychological toll of captivity on great white sharks is evident in their rapid health decline. Sharks frequently injure themselves by colliding with tank walls or other structures, a behavior attributed to disorientation and stress. These impacts can lead to abrasions, sores, and severe physical trauma.
A consistent challenge in captivity is the refusal of great white sharks to feed, or a significant reduction in their appetite. This often results in starvation, as their natural hunting instincts are not triggered by artificial feeding methods. Chronic stress, a consequence of their confinement, also suppresses their immune systems. This weakened state makes them highly susceptible to infections and diseases that they would typically resist in their natural oceanic environment.
These combined factors—physical injuries, refusal to eat, and immune system suppression—lead to a rapid deterioration of their health. Ultimately, this decline results in premature death for nearly all great white sharks held in captivity, demonstrating their unsuitability for long-term survival.