Recent News
Three Recipients: $100,000 Catlin Marine GrantThursday, April 24, 2014
The Catlin Marine Grant evolved from the reef-mapping work undertaken by the Catlin Seaview Survey, a series of worldwide scientific expeditions launched by Catlin in 2012 to document the composition and health of the world’s coral reefs.
Bermuda Aquarium releases Galapagos shark
Thursday, April 24, 2014
A 1.5m/5' Galapagos shark named Desmond has been released back into the wild by the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.
‘Desmond’ the shark released back into ocean
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
A five-foot Galapagos shark named Desmond has been released back into the ocean by staff at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.
Opinion: Ethical Question Of Dolphins & Captivity
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Recently there’s been a lot of discussion in Bermuda on the issue of keeping dolphins in captivity; this appears to have been the unintended result of Dolphin Quest announcing the births of two baby dolphins amongst their captive population.
5ft Shark “Desmond” Released From Aquarium
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
As we previously reported, on Good Friday staff at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo [BAMZ] — in conjunction with the research and camera crew of the upcoming television series Ocean Vet – released a five-foot Galapagos shark named Desmond back into the wild, requiring an intricate transportation process from start to finish.
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All the latest updates and news from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, one of Bermuda's leading visitor attractions!
Following the most recent shark sighting at Shelly Bay, the Ministry said it is likely the same one as seen over the past few months and said that while there is no need for alarm, “under no circumstances should anyone attempt to approach or handle the shark in any way.”
The Ministry said, “On Sunday 4th June, 2018, the Ministry of Home Affairs was alerted to a shark sighting at Shelly Bay through social media and direct phone calls. An Officer attended the scene within 30 minutes of being alerted but the shark had already departed the area.
“The films circulating on social media indicate that the shark is a hammerhead [Sphyrna sp.] although an exact identification of species is not possible. The animal appears to be the same size as previous sightings over the past few months, and is likely the same animal.
“While sightings of sharks are rare in inshore Bermuda waters, especially along our beaches, it is not unheard of and there are a number of accounts in the records.
“The Ministry would like to state that there is no need for alarm in these types of events. Out of an abundance of caution, it is recommended that swimmers exit the water in a calm manner and wait for the animal to leave the area before entering again. Under no circumstances should anyone attempt to approach or handle the shark in any way.
Video circulating:
“Hammerheads are typically not aggressive to humans unless provoked and account for zero fatalities annually. There are only a few instances of unprovoked attacks in all the records worldwide and these have all been attributed to much larger animals than the one sighted.
“It is not known why this animal is moving around Bermuda’s inshore water but it is likely due to the abundance of prey items notably fish, rays, crustaceans and cephalopods such as squid and octopus.
“There are nine species of hammerhead sharks globally with several species classified as endangered on the World Conservation Union’s [IUCN] 2008 Red List of Threatened Species, meaning that they are facing a very high risk of extinction due to human impacts and activities.
“The public can contact the Bermuda Aquarium & Museum and Zoo at 293-2727 or https://environment.bm/contact to a report a shark sighting inshore.”
Last month, local expert Choy Aming had made a similar point, saying he is “almost positive that the same hammerhead is being spotted repeatedly.”