By Sam Strangeways
Published Apr 23, 2014 at 8:00 am

A five-foot Galapagos shark named Desmond has been released back into the ocean by staff at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.

The animal had developed a lesion on his nose in the North Rock Tank, where he had lived for two years, a sign that he was not thriving.

A press release from BAMZ said he was put back to sea at North Rock on Good Friday and fitted with a tag so he can be identified in the future. A BAMZ spokeswoman said: “We are unsure of Desmond’s age, though he is a juvenile and is likely to be three to four years of age. He was originally collected from Castle Harbour.”

The aquarium’s principal curator Ian Walker said keeping the Galapagos shark in captivity “does tell an important story and, as such, they are an important display animal in aquariums.

Team members race Desmond to a sling to be
carried to a waiting truck fitted with a tank of water.

“Sharks are increasingly threatened in the wild, worldwide. It is important that people understand them, respect them and realise they are a vital part of the ocean’s ecosystem.”

The carefully-planned and “challenging” release of Desmond was filmed for the upcoming television series ‘Ocean Vet’ starring local veterinarian Neil Burnie.

“The shark has been a resident of the North Rock Tank at BAMZ for the last two years and is estimated to weigh about 50 pounds,” said the press release.

“While he initially did well in BAMZ’s care, over the last year he developed a rub lesion on his nose which if left would have worsened.

“It was a sign that he was not thriving as well as the staff would have liked and the decision was made to release him.”

The truck was driven across the street to a boat, also fitted with
a tank of water for transporting Desmond to North Rock.

BAMZ said transporting a shark could be a “challenging scenario” for several reasons, including the need to keep water continually passing over its gills and the danger of high levels of lactic acid building up quickly in the animal’s muscles.

“To help protect the shark, it was placed in [a] state of tonic immobility by rolling him onto his back, which induces a state similar to hypnosis.

“In addition, a veterinary team, consisting of two veterinarians and a veterinary technician, assisted with the transport to reduce the risk. Special drugs and intravenous solutions formulated specifically for sharks had been prepped in advance to provide veterinary care if necessary

Desmond is carefully placed aboard
the boat, kept in a state of tonic
immobility to protect him for the ride.

“Aquarists at BAMZ had been working for weeks to familiarise Desmond with a net, with which they captured him out of the tank. He was then, literally, run in a sling to a waiting transport box which had running water and was being bubbled with pure oxygen on the back of the aquarium truck.

“Desmond was then driven across the street to a boat, also equipped with a transport box with running water and oxygen.

“A hose was inserted into his mouth to make sure raw salt water continued to pass over his gills, while an aquarist kept him moving in a swimming pattern to assist with his metabolism and reduce lactic acid build up in his muscles.

“Once settled on-board the boat, Desmond was then quickly taken out to North Rock where he was successfully released.

A tube filled with flowing oxygenated
water is inserted into Desmond’s mouth
in order to maintain ram ventilation.

“Unlike previous shark releases, Desmond’s movements will not be tracked, as he was deemed too small to be fitted with a satellite transmitter, but he has been fitted with a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) fisheries tag so he can be identified in the future.”

Galapagos sharks can reach 12ft and are believed to live for about 24 years, only reaching maturity at six to nine years old.

The species can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans and is considered “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to commercial fishing and a slow reproductive rate.

BAMZ released another Galapagos shark, named Osbourne, back into the sea in 2012. The aquarium now has two female nurse sharks and two female dusky smooth hounds, also known as dogfish or gummy sharks, in captivity.