Mano Monday with Anna; she wants to know why scientists put sharks in tanks and their average stay therein. ——————————————————————————— There are a lot of reasons why scientists put sharks under glass, one of the most popular being for research. The length of time in captivity depends on the purpose of the research and the facility. Some do not have the option to return the animals to the sea so they can spend their entire lives cooped up in small tanks. Another reason for captive sharks is furthering education. People flock to aquariums to see these so-called monsters of the deep. It’s a great opportunity to teach people about the crucial role they play in our ocean’s ecosystem and overall planet health and hopefully change some perceptions. Unfortunately for the shark however, most aquariums will keep them behind glass for the duration of their lives; which tend to be much shorter in captivity. It’s estimated that the hammerhead shark will live an average of 8-12 years less in captivity versus living in the wild, where they belong. It’s a very tough trade off between the good side of educating and raising awareness and the bad side of making forced martyrs out of the animals. I appreciate very much that the @mauioceancenter has a rotating door policy and that the animals therein have the opportunity to return to their true home. But the best place to see and learn about sharks is in that true home, the ocean. And there’s no better people to take you than @oneoceandiving. I could go on and on about how truly life changing their charters can be and how impactful it is to see these powerful and highly revered animals wild and free as they are meant to be. It’s quite humbling and awe-inspiring. ————————— Post @trumermaid Photo @juansharks ————————— #oneoceanglobal #oneoceanglobalambassador #oneoceanteammaui #savesharks #helpsavesharks #manomonday #sharktalk #science #researchanddevelopment #education #raisingawareness #sharkdive #shark #sharks #snorkel #hilife #hawaii #northshore #oneoceandiving #wildandfree #naturalhabitat #brilliant #sharkswim #letstalkaboutsharkbaby #overunder #myblueheaven #apexpredatornotmonster #theirocean