Recent News
Ocean Tech Marine Project To Help Save OceansThursday, July 07, 2016
This week, a team of leading scientists, conservationists and media specialists launched a global marine research project called Ocean Tech to help save the world’s oceans, and their first port of call is Bermuda next year.
Building up a head of STEAM
Thursday, July 07, 2016
Secondary students took part in various activities and projects during the second annual STEAM Week at the end of term; each one encouraging students to seek new solutions to complex problems through the five components of STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.
Window on an underwater kingdom
Wednesday, July 06, 2016
Bermuda will play host to the first stage of a groundbreaking new research project designed to help save the world’s oceans.
Eight teams line up for ‘Benched 2.0’ event
Monday, July 04, 2016
Eight teams will compete in this year’s Institute of Bermuda Architects “Benched 2.0” event — a design-build contest aimed at students at the high school and university level.
BAMZ Celebrates Grand Re-Opening of Front Entrance and Shop
Friday, July 01, 2016
The legendary Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo announces the debut of its renovated Aquarium Hall and its new retail shop, Scales and Tales. A cocktail hour and an official opening ceremony, showcasing the new setting to invited guests, was held on Thursday, 9th June. The Hon. N. H. Cole Simons, JP, MP, Minister of Environment, was on hand to cut the ribbon and declare the Aquarium Hall, front entrance and shop officially open.
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All the latest updates and news from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, one of Bermuda's leading visitor attractions!
3/19/2012 3:57:00 PM
Department of Conservation Services Press Release
MONDAY, MARCH 19: The Department of Conservation Service today announced that it has released its seven-year-old male Galapagos shark back into the wild for health reasons.
The Galapagos Shark is a species of Requiem Shark, which live in reefs like Bermuda’s, feeding mainly on bottom-dwelling fish and squid.
Due to their slow reproductive rate and heavy fishing pressure their global population is in decline and as such it is recognized as a threatened species.
For the last six years the 6.5-foot-long Galapagos Shark named “Osbourne” has been a star attraction in the Northrock Tank at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ), along with a Black Grouper.
About a year ago Osbourne started developing a rubbed rostrum (nose) in the tank due to competition from the grouper.
Aquarium staff tried to reduce the aggression between the two through various training methods but were unsuccessful and as such plans were made to return the shark to the wild this summer.
However, two weeks ago the hostility between the grouper and shark escalated and the shark’s condition deteriorated.
As a result Principal Curator Dr Ian Walker made the decision to move up the release of the shark for his well being.
Dr Walker said: “The decision to relocate the shark was not made lightly as sharks need to constantly have water flowing over their gills and can go into shock from stress relatively easily.”
With assistance from Dr Neil Burnie and Choy Aming from the Bermuda Shark Project, Aquarium staff and volunteers moved the shark onto a fast boat using a specially made sling and placed it in a shark transport box.
Once on the boat the shark was monitored carefully and had water pumped over it gills while it rested upside down in a relaxed state known as tonic immobility.
After arriving seven miles off north shore at Northrock, the shark was released over the side of the boat and aquarist Steve Davis and Dr Burnie monitored its progress from the water as it swam away.
Dr Walker said: “The whole process went very smoothly. Osbourne was released with a satellite telemetry tag, donated by the Atlantic Conservation Partnership, which will provide us with very useful information on his swimming patterns and to some extent his wellbeing.
“We wish him well.”