‘Sandy' the Great White shark kept in San Francisco aquarium
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- On August 19, 1980, Tomales Bay fisherman Al Wilson discovered a great white shark feasting on his net of starry flounder. He knew just what to do: gently squeeze its gills and tap its head to keep it alive as he slowly brought it to shore.
Wilson then contacted the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco.
This catch marked the beginning of an extraordinary week in Bay Area ichthyology. Through meticulous preparation, deep scientific knowledge, marketing prowess, and a stroke of luck, the California Academy of Sciences managed to keep the first great white shark in captivity at their aquarium for five days.
The Chronicle reported, “A great white shark was caught in Bodega Bay yesterday by a fisherman whose swift attention to the seven-foot fish’s delicate life system may make it the first to survive in captivity at the Steinhart Aquarium in Golden Gate Park.”
The public exhibition of the shark occurred during a period of heightened interest in sharks, fueled by the 1975 movie "Jaws." It made the Chronicle’s front page for days and broke museum admission records. While Wilson captured the shark, the driving force behind its display was the adventurous aquarium director, John McCosker. His fascination with great white sharks began in 1973, predating both Peter Benchley’s novel and Steven Spielberg’s film. McCosker, a dynamic scientist frequently appearing on local TV shows, believed that the aquarium’s new circular tank could support a great white’s need for continuous movement, ensuring a constant flow of oxygen over its gills.
Clip taken from The World About Us. 1984.
Delighted to see they released Sandy back into the wild.
You must be a really good person then. Wow...are you ever good.
@@jay-nq6ii no animal should be in captivity for human enjoyment.
@@dandonnelly6498 what about captive bred reptiles? You think us people in the reptile and amphibian keeping hobby do it as abuse? Most of them don't even come from the wild. Releasing them would mean disasters. Keeping animals isn't always the way you think. It only applies to certain species.
@@MothobiusDude this is a wild caught shark, none have been ever bred in captivity. It deserves to be in the wild.
@@TiamatEnjoyer wait actually? I thought aquariums be breeding stuff and allat
The shark was probably going nuts in that tank....
“The walls, the blue circle walls! Walls, walls, ooo.”
I’m so glad they let Sandy go in the end.
Yes. Very stupid put a great white into this.
I remember when this happened and what is amazing is that out of all the videos I have seen that highlights Great White sharks in captivity, this aquarium never came up. I always wondered what happened to this shark and am glad she made it out to the open ocean. I also remember when this came out there was a blonde female woman who I think was also involved - maybe she was also training to do deep diving...I was just a kid when it was televised and am in my 50s now...Great throw back! Thank you!
I grew up in Bodega Bay and remember when this shark was caught. I also remember the circular aquarium at the Steinhart. Now I'm an old guy and I'm a volunteer diver at the same aquarium!
You should rethink perhaps your choices. Those places are just chambers of torture and exhibition of wild life. It’s appalling.
@TheodoreJudah - I live on Bodega Ave. in Petaluma & totally remember it like if it today
I always thought the one and only great white that was held in captivity died.. very glad to have seen this
Nah. Sadly there have been many. They had been trying since the 1970s and everytime they tried, it died. From what I understand, the previous record was held by SeaWorld at 16 days before the shark died. The same aquarium in the video above housed 5 more great whites between Sandy's release, and 2011. They all died. The longest lasted 55 days before they set it free, but even it died 3 days later in the wild. I haven't been able to find any information on Sandy's fate after release. I hope she survived, but history is not on her side. 😔
Sorry, I may have misspoke. It sounds like a few may have survived after being released. They have no idea what happened to sandy, but it sounds like atleast 3 small juveniles were released, and managed to survive after Monterey Bay aquarium.
@@thedirtyhorne7044 👍
I returned to the city after a short time in the D.C suburbs, followed by U.S Army basic and MOS school, and heard about this sad story from my cronies the day that I got back.
I'm glad that I wasn't here to see that poor girl held in captivity.
Thank you for publishing this! I remember seeing this decades ago, and missed it. ❤
Tricky. Shark was dumb like a fox. From other accounts, once she knew she was free and clear, she made an instant and miraculous recovery, gave them the tail, and was gone.
Well played Sandy. Well played.
Neither foxes nor great white sharks are all that dumb. Looks to me like this predator’s natural instincts to opportunistically approach whatever electric fields its sensory organs have picked up, as well as the electroreception ability itself, were too strong and powerful for its own good in a very unnatural environment.
@@Brandon-br7tc Undoubtedly. I do not disagree with your assessment.
Just so everyone is clear though...
Dumb like a fox = Sly and cunning, while deliberately giving the misleading impression of being stupid or foolish.
I stand by my statement.
@@TarragonofVirtuemost people just say as cunning as a fox. That removes confusion.
Susan Casey mentioned Sandy in her book. I'm glad she was set free. Great white sharks can't survive in captivity.
The legend that is John McCosker. I had the great pleasure of meeting him about 10 years ago at the Steinhart aquarium . It had been an ambition of mine since watching this very documentary in 1984. He was such a gentleman and very gracious. An absolute credit to the sciences.
I too met Dr. McCosker!
I jogged every morning on the beach in Half Moon Bay and came across a seal with and enormous bite taken out. I called and was transferred to about 4 different people. I finally spoke to someone and they asked if I could meet them in the parking lot and take them to the seal? They said they'd be there within an hour. It was then I met Dr. McCosker and two assistants. They took pictures and measurements etc. They said it was absolutely White shark predation and that the shark had to have been at least 18 feet. He was very thankful that I called and gave me two tickets to a grand opening of a wing at the Steinhart aquarium. I saw him there and he remembered me. You are right.... he was such a nice man!
@@poppycock6572that’s a great story, and I love your pfp and username 😂
Well. Let me tell you, based on that narration that guy understood wild life like I understand Russian classical ballet. What a way is that of humanising animals?? How could he be so blind?? It’s seriously worrying.
Sandy is iconic in that we learned GWS cannot tolerate captivity. In a perfect world, no wild animals should be subject to captivity. Money over morals. Which direction do you prefer?
Morals. I prefer to observe animals in their natural habitats.
@@teresaponziani161 Me too.
No large animal should be in a zoo now , except for breeding and release programmes
Certain fish live their lives around a small area & perfect for aquarium viewing
We no longer need to see bears , cats , elephants etc in zoos
It depends. For conservation purposes or for rescue animals that can’t be rehabilitated, I get captivity, at least they’re well cared for them.
@@davestationuk7374 I don't know about you but I don't want to travel to Africa to see an elephant
Omg the size of that tank!!! Sick
The tank was stupid wasn’t even a proper tank just a round passage
McCosker is a fucking legend. Was fortunate enough to have correspondence with him when I was a young shark enthusiast and even got to meet him behind the scenes of steinhart in 1992.
I remember reading about this in the book about the great white by John McCosker and Richard Ellis. Fascinating to see actual video footage!
Sandy was also mentioned in Susan Casey's book.
I remember this clearly, as it made national news. San Francisco had record visitors to catch a glimpse of Sandy. The fact her ampullae of Lorenzini detected a small electrical pulse causing her to bump her nose is intriguing, yet unsettling. Imagine how well GW’s can detect our heartbeats….yikes!
hope you cover the Monterey Bay aquarium great white sharks that were successfully kept for a time in that big 'out bay' exhibit. some day. They were the first white sharks who actually fed while in captivity (edit: corrected and info added)
There have been many studies now done on the few sharks that have been kept in captivity and why they can’t survive, and it has to do with their navigation system essentially not working while in captivity. I think the longest a GWS has survived in captivity was like 26 days. I’m so glad they let this shark go.
She was literally swimming in circles, these beasts roam vast expanses and can swim hundreds of miles in short time. Sandy was looking for an exit and was literally being driven crazy swimming in circles. Boycott Sea World until they too stop housing whales, dolphins and sharks.
FUN FACT: They asked Sandy the shark to play a recurring role on Sponge Bob ....She declined....So they offered the part to a squirrel!
Nice to see they released her …every other great white in captivity died shortly after capture …so clearly whatever leak was happening wasn’t the cause of Sandy’s distress …captivity was !!!
*We're Right With The Daily Jaws* ❤❤❤
He said tears in our eyes like it was a free Willy moment 😐😂😂
We shouldnt keep wild animals in "prison"...
So nice to hear she got free...
THERE ARE NO WALLS IN THE OPEN OCEAN. That's why the shark was having problems. You had it in too small of a space.
Great whites have *a lot* of problems with aquarium environments. Space is one, but the main issue is that they have extraordinarily sensitive lateral lines and ampullae of Lorenzini. Basically, the vibrations and electrical fields in a typical tank feel to them how we'd feel if someone blasted music at full volume all day.
There have been a couple of cases of aquariums keeping great whites healthy for extended periods, but they had to basically reinvent how an aquarium works. Different materials (no metal), and no active filtration, instead allowing seawater to flow into the tank. They did eventually behave a bit weirdly though, presumably because they have one of the largest brains of any fish (I think exceeded only by the manta ray), so there just isn't enough stimulation.
@@nickporter4279 Cool info man
I’m getting sick seeing her, she shouldn’t have been there in the first place 😢
Stranded at the drivin'
Branded a fool
What will they say Monday at school?
Sandy, can't you see I'm in misery?
We made a start, now we're apart
There's nothing left for me
Love has flown, all alone
I sit and wonder why
Oh, why you left me
Oh, Sandy?
Oh, Sandy, baby
Someday, when high school is done
Somehow, someway, our two worlds will be one
In heaven forever and ever we will be
Oh, please say you'll stay,
Oh, Sandy ❤
'Sandy' was an interesting case. She was a 'sub adult', mooching for a meal out a gillnet. I didn't think 'sub adults' lived in our area back then--UNLESS..Bodega/Tomales Bay is some kind of nursery for young white sharks.
Wow never knew they ever caught one like that ! Glad it was let go
The great news here is the shark lived despite being caught by the fishermen. Then the shark escaped captivity and is back taking, her chances in the ocean.
Man will cage anything, then scratch his head, wondering why the animal doesn't like it.
I'm shocked that she live that long. But she is free now, and I'm glad too 💙💙💙💙
poor thing...
All the other sharks called Sandy a nut after relaying her story to them. “I was abducted”.
Idea: make an aquarium exhibit where people are seeing the open ocean underwater through a window . Every now and then like once or twice to week have researchers lure a great white near the window so people can see animals but still in the wild
That's training sharks to associate humans with food.
Feels potentially dangerous.
Never should've been in the aquarium to begin with.
😢 so sad
They released it and it presumably survived. NOT SAD! We actually LIKE sharks to be alive.
@@drk321 I think the original comment might have been calling the shark's struggles in the tank sad, not the fact that it lived.
@@lsmlsm2115 Well it was sad. Any captive animal is leading a sad existence.
The same sadness for Orcas and dolphins ... humanity is a stand for animals
❤love free shark
@@drk321 In this and many cases for sure. There are animals that are born in captivity that wouldn't survive in the wild though.
She never should have been in captivity to begin with!
That’s just sick
RETURN to the aquarium??? He is kidding, right?
No danger of attack at all. That would be the last thing the shark would be thinking of. It would be in where-the-fk-am-I mode, how do I get out of here? To an open ocean roaming creature such as this, that aquarium would be like locking a person in a cupboard.
Shark psychologist: trust me bro.
@@jay-nq6ii ???
I did watch the video and I think it’s disgusting that people take sharks and put them in aquariums for our entertainment. Perhaps you need to think more about how it affects the shark then how it affects you. Look what happened with the orcas when they were in captivity.
….they did let the shark go….. your previous comment suggested they didn’t…. 🦈
How do you feel about Shark Fin Soup? 🦈👨🍳🥣😋
Keep that chum line going chief
so if they get an aquarium that doesn’t let of any electrical charge and can get a white to feed it would survive in captivity?
The only ones who have survived have been the ones who were released not too long after being taken.
They don't do well in aquariums. Die pretty quickly. And it has been attempted many times & places. The general consensus is that it has to do with the way they breathe (they have to constantly move). Tanks don't fit well with their movements thus their breathing can become more restricted.
I can't believe they let her go and didn't let her die like the other one.
*Chief Martín Brody*
*"Smile Son Of a Bitch"*
*And The Shark Bruce Explode Into a Thousand Pieces In The Ocean"*
*¡Jaws ©(1975)!*
Whoa
I don't mind animals being kept in captivity, just as long as they get the right sort of care and mental stimulation.
I use Kevin Richardson as my main example for this- he takes his animals out on enrichment walks, he gives them very spacious enclosures and he puts them in different enclosures every few weeks.
I also don't mind animals being kept in captivity if it's for rehabilitation purposes e.g. a serious injury or being abandoned at a young age and needing some help to reach a big enough size to survive on their own before being released back into the wild where they belong.
Conservation purposes is another thing I don't mind animals being kept in captivity for, like some of the animals at Australia Zoo. Some of the Crocodiles that live there were going to be killed because they were getting too close to human establishments. While it would be nice if they could keep living out in their natural wild habitat, at least they can stay alive in the zoo and be treated with the awe and respect that they deserve from keepers who recognise their power.
He hoped that someday they'd get that shark back in the aquarium??? POS. Sharks belong in the ocean....
How did they know she was a killer ?
Amen
Could that possibly be Deep Blue ?
Nope nope will never support putting them in aquariums. They belong solely in the ocean as nature intended
No good reason to keep animals captive like this.
Yes, there is....... for MY enjoyment at MY convenience. 🤫
JAWS 3 real life
Her eyes were literally bugging out of her head ……. What fools men are for the mere thought of a dollar,sad so so sad
you can't count them all 🤔
I bet the shark didn't live long
Cruel!
🍼 Here, this will calm your nerves.
...... don't worry, it's Soy.
Thanks Jason I really need it!
@@jason-hy8cihaving fun Jason ? . You seem like a fun happy guy 😂
They need to let that great white shark free from the aquarium. It’s not meant for captivity and it’s not used to a small area. I hope they do the right thing and let it go.
…… maybe watch the video 🦈
They did........ in 1984!!!!! 🤤😵💫🥴
That's terrible!! Why did they keep her SO long???!!! 😠😠😠
They should not be confined. Glad she was released back to the wild.
SHAME ON SAN FRANCISCO FOR ABUSING THIS ANIMAL.
Sad
IM NOT A FAN OF SHARKS. BUT I WOULDN'T IN A MILLION YEARS KEEP A POOR DEFENCELESS ANIMAL IN A TANK OF WATER. ITS ANIMAL ABUSE AND IT'S VERY UPSETTING
It’s been years since it’s been in there. So stop crying.
Why the hell would this beautiful creature want to return after being kept prisoner and being denied it’s freedom? It most probably died quickly after being held captive either from shock or injury from colliding with the tank. My wish would be that no animal be held in captivity for people’s entertainment or financial gain, let animals run/swim free and let nature take its course. I don’t suppose that will happen any time soon😥
It kills me when people say “shark infested waters”….. human infested towns
ANIMAL ABUSE
Cruel
Nah