Georgia aquarium whale shark names. The aquarium was designed around a 63 million us gallon 24000 m3 whale shark exhibit making it the only institution outside of asia that houses the giant species. Youll get to swim with a snorkel in the ocean voyager exhibit built by the home depot with thousands of amazing animals for the experience of a lifetime. Aquarium loses second whale shark in a year.
Login open to the public 9am 5pm. The whale shark rhincodon typus is a slow moving filter feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish speciesthe largest confirmed individual had a length of 188 m 62 ft. Georgia aquarium is home to four whale sharks and is the only aquarium in the united states where you can find these sharks.
Georgia aquarium protects whale sharks through research and conservation efforts in the field in the laboratory and through our unique position as the only aquarium in the western hemisphere to display these elusive gentle giants. Save money get your tickets online now. Since 2004 the aquariums field research focused on the many whale sharks that visit the yucatan peninsula in.
The whale shark holds many records for size in the animal kingdom most notably being by far the largest living nonmammalian vertebrateit is the sole member of the genus rhincodon and the only extant member. The georgia aquarium is home to many animals including four massive whale sharks named trixie alice yushan and taroko. The whale sharks importation from taiwan by air truck and boat had never been attempted previously.
It has a vestigial spiracle behind the eye which is an evolutionary remnant of its common ancestry with bottom dwelling benthic carpet sharks. Georgia aquarium is home to hundreds of species and thousands of animals. Journey with gentle giants is the only opportunity in the world where you are guaranteed to swim with whale sharks manta rays and more.
Explore a world under the sea with whale sharks beluga whales and other marine life. Whale shark has a broad flat head relatively small eyes five large gill slits two dorsal fins two long pectoral fins two pelvic fins one anal fin and a large sweeping tail. Sandbar shark one of the most abundant sharks in the western atlantic sandbar sharks are coastal shallow water sharks that are seldom seen at the surface.