Recent News
One thousand turn up to help celebrate environmental landmarksThursday, June 09, 2022
About 1,000 people turned out to the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo on Saturday to celebrate World Oceans Day and World Environment Day.
The facility, along with the Bermuda Zoological Society, hosted a free Family Open Day, where they demonstrated their “commitment to ocean conservation”.
David Wingate portrait donated to National Gallery
Thursday, May 12, 2022
A leading conservationist was presented with a portrait of himself in honour of his work.
Ornithologist shows David Wingate helping a fledging Cahow from its nest with two of the seabirds in flight behind him.
A dedication event was held at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo on Saturday.
SailGP preparations underway as Cross Island comes to life
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Sailing fever is now in full swing at the West End ahead of the opening races of SailGP this weekend.
Behind the scenes at Cross Island, headquarters of the Bermuda Grand Prix, the sailing teams and their technical support are immersed in preparations.
BZS Welcomes Youth Climate Summit Participants to Trunk Island
Thursday, May 05, 2022
On Saturday, 30th April, the Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS) invited 6 participants from the Youth Climate Summit, as well as the Youth Climate Initiative Consulting Director - Dr. Rosemarie McMahon, for a morning of planting native trees on Trunk Island, the BZS Living Classroom. Under the careful guidance of Trevor Rawson, the BZS Trunk Island Project Coordinator, the participants were able to plant 30 native and endemic trees - teaching them the importance of placing trees and shrubs in a newly graded and exposed coastal environment.
Warwick Playground Transformed by the BZS Micro Forest Project
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
If you drove along South Shore in Warwick last Saturday morning you may have seen a large group of people planting at Warwick Playground. The Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS) was joined by their Junior Volunteers, members of the BZS Science Club, individuals from the Government of Bermuda’s Department of Parks, employees from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo and corporate volunteers from RenaissanceRe and Aspen Re to plant the second plot for the BZS Micro Forest Project.
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All the latest updates and news from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, one of Bermuda's leading visitor attractions!
9/7/2012 8:40 AM
Simon Jones
Osbourne's tracks: This map shows
Galapagos shark Osbourne's journey after
being released from the aquarium in March.
*Photo supplied
FRIDAY, SEPT. 7: Osbourne the aquarium shark seems to be thriving in the wild.
According to data transmitted from his tag, the Galapagos shark covered around 300 miles in his first three months at sea.
Experts say that all indications so far are that he has acclimaitised well to his new environment. Osbourne was removed from the Bermuda Aquarium in March for his own welfare because had developed sores on his nose from where he had come into conflict with black groupers.
A carefully planned operation involving aquarium staff and the Bermuda Shark Project (BSP) was launched to release Osbourne back into the wild seven miles off the north shore.
Neil Burnie from the BSP told the Bermuda Sun: “The satellite telemetry tag we had attached to Osbourne to monitor his progress popped to the surface a couple of months ago and started transmitting data.
“That happened a little earlier than we expected but these kind of tags are not an exact science.
“It has taken a considerable amount of time and effort from our partners in the US to collate that data and plot Osbourne’s movements.
“The findings show that he has become a successful pelagic shark and has travelled well away from the sea rock.
“It’s great news and seems to suggest that the release operation has been a success.
“We are all overjoyed at this news and the fact he has been moving around over such a large area bodes well for his future.
“After six years in captivity you are never quite sure how these things will turn out but all indications at the moment are good.”
The Bermuda Shark Project has been working with shark experts Dr Brad Wetherbee from Rhode Island University and Dr Mahmood Shivji to collate and plot all the information from Osbourne’s tag.
Positive
Dr Ian Walker, principal curator at the Aquarium, told the Bermuda Sun that based on the data he had received so far he felt ‘very positive’ about the outcome of the operation to save Osbourne.
And he would not rule out the possibility of the aquarium acquiring another shark at some point in the future.
He said: “It appears that Osbourne is making a living for himself out at sea now.
“Certainly all the data I have been privy to would indicate that this is a very positive result.
“The more data we get the better idea it will give us of how Osbourne’s first three months in the open sea went.
“We have certainly learned a great deal from this experience and it shows that we will do anything to ensure the welfare of the creatures we have at the aquarium.
“Knowing that we can conduct a successful release like this will help us in the future too.
“Osbourne was a very popular exhibit and I hope that at some time in the future we will be able to have a shark at the aquarium again to help children and understand more about these animals.”
Scientists will continue to monitor the data provided by the tag over the coming weeks in a bid to find out what depth Osbourne was when the tag popped to the surface. This will help provide more information about Osbourne’s depth at the time the tag detached.