22 December 2005

Don't Put The Octopus In With Your Sharks

Greatwhite The thing I find so compelling about aquariums is that they are both scientifically fascinating and visually stunning. Which is why the Aquarium Party is always among the many highlights of the TED experience for me. Last year's attendees of the Aquarium Party had the added pleasure of observing the worlds only Great White Shark in captivity. It was on display in the Monterey Bay Aquarium for 198 days before it was released back into the ocean. While on display, the Great White attacked two Soupfin Sharks, both of which died from their bite wounds. A related incident occurred at the Seattle Aquarium when an octopus was placed in the same tank with a number of sharks -- only this one was caught on video tape. If you thought the majestic Great White was a thing to behold, wait until you see this video.

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Amazing video of octopus attacking a shark from Tonynet Explorer
I volunteered at the Seattle Aquarium for a short stint when I first moved to Seattle (I used to dive a lot and almost became a marine biologist instead of a computer dude.) During orientation, I heard an amazing story about how the staff were finding... More...

Shark Video from Emergent Chaos
Watch this astounding video of a shark in the Seattle aquarium. I suggest turning down the volume, the only really useful thing you'll learn is that the shark in question was about 3-4 feet long. Via TEDBlog ... More...