Sharks in Captivity

Sharks in Captivity

Most species of sharks out there don’t seem to do very well in captivity. Many of them end up dying within a year of that taking place. However, the research on this has helped us to do much better. Discovering ways to make the transportation of these sharks easier reduces their stress. Making their new home very similar to their natural environment helps as well.

It is very expensive to keep sharks in captivity which is also another reason why they often aren’t found in captivity. Most of them have to be held in saltwater aquariums with a great deal of room to move around. They also consume large amounts of food daily which adds up to quite an expense as well.

The Stress of Captivity

Many experts believe that it is the high level of intelligence that sharks have that make it difficult for them to live in captivity. They incur a high level of stress due to the new environment. They definitely realize they aren’t in the their natural environment any more even though many of these locations are similar to where they once where.

Migration patterns are another concern. Sharks that migrate find it confusing and difficult to not have that ability. Realistically, it isn’t possible to allow them to move hundreds of miles when they are in captivity. They may become aggressive at that point and many of them even refuse to each.


Different Behavior in Captivity

Many experts agree that sharks in captivity don’t follow many of the usual behaviors that they would in the wild either. Therefore observing them in captivity to learn about how they live in the wild really isn’t very useful at all. We have learned some basics though about reproduction and even the recovery process though.

All sharks have keen senses and they are able to pick up on vibrations as well as electrical currents in the water. It is also believed that these senses become very confused while they are in captivity. They rely upon such senses for navigation, to find prey, and to avoid danger in the wild. Sharks are very complex creatures and we still don’t know enough about them to keep them content in captivity.

The larger that a shark species can grow to become, the less likely it is that they will successfully be able to survive in captivity. Even very small ones that you can buy at pet stores for aquariums don’t have a very long life. There are simply too many variables in their natural environment that haven’t been identified. Therefore it is impossible to duplicate them in captivity.

Captivity for Conservation

The main reason that they are kept these days if for them to be successfully cared for and then returned to the wild. When sharks are injured they may require care that allows them to successfully survive again in the wild after they have had enough time to recover.

Many conservation groups for sharks have made it known that they don’t want these sharks in captivity. They definitely will only accept it if that is the only way in which the creature is going to be able to live. Since it is so expensive to keep them in captivity many locations are willing to return them to the wild as soon as it is safe to do so.

As you can see, keeping sharks in captivity is quite a challenge. That is why the focus is on conserving their natural environments at this time rather than continuing to find new ways to keep them in captivity. It is believed that there will be more value to spend time and money on such efforts.