Recent News

One thousand turn up to help celebrate environmental landmarks
Thursday, 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!

BAMZ shark goes wild
Bermuda Sun
Monday, March 19, 2012

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.”