Recent News
Dolphin causes a stir at Somerset Long BayTuesday, August 13, 2013
A dolphin that was spotted yesterday at Somerset Long Bay may have been stranded. US marine mammal biologist Trevor Spradlin said the situation was similar to what he’s seen in the US, where dolphins have recently been found along the coast of Virginia up to New York.
Venti Anni takes off in Tour de Turtles race
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Crowds gathered at Clearwater Beach this morning when Venti Anni, a juvenile green sea turtle, was released as a part of the Tour de Turtles Race on the Rock.
Officials respond, dolphin very close to shore
Monday, August 12, 2013
A lone dolphin was spotted very close to shore in the West End today [Aug 12], and the Marine Police were called to the scene after receiving reports of what appeared to be a distressed marine mammal at Somerset Long Bay.
Longtail chicks might not be abandoned, but beware just in case
Friday, August 09, 2013
The Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) is calling for the public to look out for stranded Longtail chicks as the birds prepare for their first flights.
Going to be on the water this Cup Match? Spare a moment of thought for the Island's turtles
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Boating season is underway and local conservationists are urging the public to think green this Cup Match weekend — green sea turtles, that is.
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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.”