‘Larger than life’ whale shark once headed to seafood market dies at Georgia aquarium
A “larger than life” whale shark who wowed guests at the Georgia Aquarium for years has died.
Alice came to the Atlanta aquarium in 2006 after being rescued from Taiwan, where the aquarium says she was destined for a seafood market. She was the aquarium’s “longest whale shark resident” and helped researchers better understand the species during her time there.
“Most importantly, she was a larger-than-life ambassador for her species, wowing guests from all corners of the globe,” the aquarium wrote on Facebook.
But, recently, routine monitoring of Alice revealed changes in her behavior and blood work, the aquarium says.
On Sunday, her condition worsened and didn’t improve despite “extraordinary efforts” from her care team.
“The only humane option was to euthanize her,” the aquarium said Monday. “She was surrounded by the incredibly dedicated team that cared for her every day, many of whom cared for her since she arrived in 2006.”
The aquarium wrote that the staff was “heartbroken” to share the news of Alice’s death.
“It was a tremendous honor to be the steward of Alice’s care and for that we will be forever grateful to her,” the aquarium said.
The Georgia Aquarium says whale sharks are the “largest fish in the sea.” They range between 8 and 32.8 feet in size, but the largest accurately measured whale shark ever recorded reached 61.7 feet long.
In 2013, when Alice was a “pre-adult,” she measured between 23 and 26 feet long.
But whale sharks have “very narrow” throats and can only swallow small prey, the aquarium says.
They feed mostly on zooplankton, including sergestid shrimps and fish eggs and krill, jellies, copepods, coral spawn and small fish, according to the aquarium.
The species is found in the tropical Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are considered endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List .
This story was originally published June 29, 2021 at 10:10 AM with the headline "‘Larger than life’ whale shark once headed to seafood market dies at Georgia aquarium."
