Jonathan visits the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta—the largest aquarium in the world—where they keep not one but four whale sharks in captivity, as well as two manta rays. Whale sharks are the largest fish on Earth and Jonathan learns how these animals are maintained in captivity while he dives with them in a 6 million gallon fish tank!
#underwater #scuba #scubadiving #sharks #whalesharks #aquarium #georgiaaquarium #georgia #atlanta #mantarays
This segment was originally uploaded in 2012. This is a new version in HD.
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The Georgia Aquarium is one of the world’s most spectacular. It houses exhibits ranging from coral reefs to kelp forests, salt water to fresh water, warm water to cold water, and just about everything in between.
But there is no doubt that the 6.3 million gallon Ocean Voyager exhibit is the most impressive part of the Georgia Aquarium
There is also a tunnel through the Ocean Voyager so people can walk underneath the marine life, which includes some of nature’s most magnificent animals like manta rays and whale sharks.
Keeping manta rays and whale sharks in captivity is difficult. First of all, these are huge animals! Mantas grow larger than a car, and whale sharks larger than a bus! So they need a lot of space. But they pose another interesting challenge as well—both are filter feeders. In the wild they strain their planktonic food by swimming with an open mouth and capturing small animals from the water on their gill rakers.
In an aquarium, there is no plankton. Aquarists had to train the animals for hand feeding.
To learn how they feed the mantas, I make my way to the top of the Ocean Voyager exhibit, a nearly football field-sized fish tank!
The mantas are fed a combination of krill and small fish from a ladle.
Since the mantas can’t swim in place, they have to be fed while they swim by gently ladling the food out in front of their mouths.
While I get the bird’s eye view of the feeding from above, the aquarium visitors get the fish eye view from below in the tunnel with the sharks feeding directly overhead.
It all started in Taiwan, where whale sharks are hunted for food. The Georgia Aquarium teamed up with a local fisherman to capture a live whale shark. Once they had it in a pen, they transferred it to a specially-made sling. Then it was transferred into a custom tank with life support for an overseas flight. Finally the shark was flown on a private charter across the Pacific all the way to Atlanta, where it was driven to the aquarium. It’s quite a journey for a shark!
Given how expensive and difficult it is to get whale sharks all the way to the Georgia Aquarium, the staff isn’t taking any chances when it comes to their care.
The rooms where food is prepared are nearly as clean as operating rooms.
And I’m about ready to try diving in this inland ocean, so I head upstairs for my briefing with divemaster Devon Fleming.
While I go and get my gear on, they put the dock into the water. They don’t leave it in all the time because the animals might injure themselves on it.
Before I even have my camera, a whale shark swims silently right below the dock. It’s hard to believe I’m in a giant fish tank with a whale shark!
On the bottom, a Great Hammerhead comes over to check me out!
I follow Devon down towards the deep end of the exhibit, and Tallulah the manta ray swims over to say hello.
A whale shark, with a school of jacks keeping him company swims over me. The whale sharks move around the huge tank in circles and figure eights. They are used to the divers and don’t mind us at all.
There is so much marine life in this exhibit that sometimes I forget I’m doing a dive in an aquarium. My camera moves from whale shark, to Great Hammerhead. Then on to Nandi, the other manta ray, doing barrel rolls. Then back to another hammerhead.
On the bottom, a sawfish catches my attention. This is a kind of ray with a saw-like nose for hunting prey. I have never even seen one of these in the wild but they have nearly a dozen of them in this exhibit.
One of Aquarium staff divers peacefully enjoys a sand tiger shark lazily drifting by. In spite of their fierce-looking teeth, these sharks are no threat to people. They eat smaller prey. Soon my dive nears the end.
On our way back to the shallow end of the exhibit, I pass once again over the tunnel with the people looking up. And Tallulah buzzes by again as if to bid me farewell.
Devon gives me the signal to head to the surface. It was such a short dive…I don’t know if I can bring myself to getting out of the water.
Comments
35 responses to “Georgia Aquarium (Whale sharks and manta rays!)”
I’m not so sure if the Georgia Aquarium is really the world’s largest aquarium.
I'd definitely love to meet Jonathan one day, he does and go where I'm honestly terrified to go and just won't lol but I'm so fascinated with such and wanna know how much I can about whatever it may be I'm curious in. I'd have a few questions for you , you have an amazing job which is also doing what you enjoy and care about. I'm thankful for you're video's for people like myself who love the ocean but would never do in a quarter of what you do and where you go lol that's definitely bravery there lol it's true can't say it's not no matter how prepped and prepared you may be it's still the ocean and nobody EVER knows what can happen or what will just decide to show up ya know definitely dangerous, anyway lol thank you for you're video's and doing what you do.
It's funny how no one is upset about these animals swimming around in a tiny tank all day, Whale Sharks are twice the size of Killer Whales
The fact that the Georgia Aquarium doesn’t allow you to take photos or videos while swimming in the tanks is so lame. You can take footage on the “deck” and your family can film from the tunnel. Why you can’t film yourself underwater is interesting.. Obviously new divers shouldn’t be messing around with a camera but they should be monitoring the divers anyways. They should be pulling people if they aren’t up to regs regardless if a camera is the issue so I don’t see why having a camera creates that large of an issue. Most people would run a GoPro and have to turn it on once. The dive is 30 minutes, you’re not going to be doing too much.
Huge respect to the cameraman for getting these amazing shots on how they get the whale shark
As a diver and snorkeler I have seen most of these animals in the wild. I can only recommend that to everyone. I actually feel sorry for all these animals, but I hope it helps to protect these animals….
`Georgia on my mind…`
It has great white?
Is the exact dive open to the public? Just as interested in the great hammerhead as I am diving with the whale shark.
Putting fish in an aquarium there is a lot of planing and management
Then how can humans can say that this world is made by itself with no creater??
Okay now I cave a new dream bedroom. Woah! 😶
I'd like to meet john masson (Assistant (To the) Manager) of life support
Wonder how much pressure is on that tunnel below the aquarium
I completely forget any stress in my life watching your videos Jonathon lol what channel was your show syndicated on when you were on TV? I'm from Canada so I'm not sure if I was able to watch them.
Why does all aquariums don't have a blue whale
Wow the nostalgia that kicks in
am i the only one who finds it sad that these amazing animals are in captivity?
Did you get to dive with Woody?
Awesome! Why only sand tiger sharks are often presented in Aquariums?
I don't know how you flim all of your videos! Thanks for the cool imformation.
These magnificent creatures should never be stolen from their homes and placed in what is essentially a bath tub sized pool. Horrible & incredibly cruel.
HI BLUE WORLD TEEM THIS IS MYRA AND EMMI WE HAVE ALWAY'S WANTED TO SWIM WITH A WHALE SHARK .YOUR SO LUCKY.
it's beautiful and all, but.. let's not forget these animals don't belong in here 🙂
._.
when is it my turn 😭😭😭
dont support zoos or aquariums…
So sad to see this arrested Whale Sharks
Jonathan bird you should do Orcas/Killer Whales
Blue whale: The largest animal ever to exist, larger than even a mosasaur or sauropod dinosaur, sharing the same order as dolphins (aka “sea humans”) and the killer whales that eat the babies of their species
Eats only tiny crustaceans
Whale shark: The largest fish in the world and a member of a carnivorous cartilaginous fish family of which most members have sharp teeth and are really scary
Eats only small fish and plankton
Animal captivity… so cool.
This was my first video I ever watched
This is my favorite video of your channel
What they did with that whale shark to catch it reminded me of Free Willy and it made me sad 😔
Our local dive shop has a trip to the aquarium this year. I gotta sign up for that!
Love all your videos, but captive animals saddens me, although I know sometimes for protection