The Two Oceans Aquarium successfully released Gen, a female ragged-tooth shark, in Struisbaai on 18 March as part of its ongoing shark conservation efforts. At every stage of her journey she was accompanied by Aquarium Curatorial staff members to ensure a calm and safe return to her wild home.
At the Aquarium Gen was carefully placed in a secure tank on a large truck for transport by road to Struisbaai. “All precautions were taken through careful medical monitoring along the way,” said Dr Ilse Jenkinson, the Two Oceans Aquarium veterinarian. “On her arrival final observations and vital signs were taken. Then she was lifted from the holding tank and carried by the team to the water’s edge. The Aquarium Curatorial team walked Gen into the surf on a specially designed stretcher, where she immediately showed signs of readiness to return to her wild home. Taking their cue from Gen as she pushed against the constraints of the stretcher, the team released her, with two divers keeping a watchful eye to monitor her.
Jenkinson declared the release a success. “On the day of release the movement and transport went smoothly, and she had a good and strong response before being released back into the ocean,” Jenkinson said.
Curator Kevin Spiby reflected, “Today, we had the privilege of returning one of our largest ragged-tooth sharks to the big blue. Gen spent eight years with us. During her time at the Aquarium, she was a true ambassador for her species and educated thousands of visitors, highlighting the importance of sharks in the marine environment.”
Gen’s journey with the Two Oceans Aquarium
Gen was brought to the Two Oceans Aquarium on 30 June 2017 after being collected by a fisher off the coast of East London. She weighed 62 kg and measured 238 cm in length.
In line with tradition, the fisher was given the honour of naming the shark, and he chose his wife’s name. Gen was housed in the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit at the Two Oceans Aquarium for eight years.
“In her time at the Two Oceans Aquarium, while playing an important role as an awareness-raising ambassador for changing perceptions of sharks, Gen grew into a large adult weighing 209 kg and measuring 286 cm in length,” said Dr Jenkinson. “She is now sexually mature, so we would like her to have the opportunity to reproduce and contribute to the wild population.”
Shark tagging
Like other sharks released by the Aquarium, Gen was fitted with a tag so that her movements can be tracked as she moves along the coast. “This helps us gain scientific information about the sharks and also helps raise awareness about their plight in an ocean under threat by human impact,” said Kevin Spiby, Two Oceans Aquarium Curator.
Gen was tagged with a spaghetti tag, which displays a tag number and address of the organisation that fitted the tag.
If a fisher catches a tagged shark, they are encouraged to note the tag number, location, and date on which they caught the shark and record its length if possible. This information should then be sent to the address on the tag. When the organisation receives the information, they can see how far the shark has travelled and how much it has grown since it was tagged and released.
