You’ve heard of Free Willy, the killer whale who was set free, but the Overberg boasts its own ragged-tooth shark, which was recently released in Struisbaai.
As part of its ongoing shark conservation efforts Cape Town’s Two Oceans Aquarium successfully released Dané, a female ragged-tooth shark, on 29 March. She was accompanied at every stage of her journey by six aquarium curatorial staff members to ensure a calm, safe return to the wild.
At the aquarium Dané was carefully placed in a secure tank on a large truck for transport by road to Struisbaai. “All precautions were taken through careful medical monitoring along the way,” said Dr Ilse Jenkinson, Two Oceans Aquarium vet. “On arrival, final blood and vitals were taken, and she was lifted from the holding tank and carried by the team down to the water’s edge.”
There was much excitement among the Struisbaai community who gathered to watch Dané’s return to the open ocean. Two Oceans Aquarium staff were available to answer any questions, stating that “the decision to release Dané in Struisbaai follows a regular practice by the Two Oceans Aquarium at this time of year.” Dr Nathalie Viljoen, Head of Research, further explained that “the aquarium tends to release ragged-tooth sharks in this area as there is an existing population that migrates along the Agulhas ridge off the coast of Struisbaai towards the warmer waters of KwaZulu-Natal.”
The curatorial team walked Dané into the ocean for at least 15 to 20 minutes and then stood with her for 10 minutes. Taking their cue from Dané as she pushed against the constraints of the stretcher, the team released her, with two divers keeping a watchful eye to monitor her initial open-ocean behaviour.
Dr Jenkinson declared the release a success, as Dané showed strong and feisty behaviour throughout the day and swam with purpose into the ocean.
Curator Paul van Nimwegen reflected that “today we had the privilege of returning one of our largest ragged-tooth sharks to the big blue. Dané spent five years with us. During her time at the Aquarium she was a true ambassador for her species, and educated thousands of visitors, highlighting the importance sharks play in the marine environment.”
The team extended a big thank you to the Struisbaai community for the enthusiasm and kindness they showed in welcoming Dané home.. Dané was collected off Seavale near East London, with the assistance of angler Mike Dedericks, a local angler, in 2017. Given the honour of naming her, a common practice for the anglers who assist in the collection of these beautiful ragged-tooth sharks, Dedericks quickly decided on his wife’s name Dané. She called the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit at the Two Oceans Aquarium her home since her arrival. “In that time, while contributing to awareness raising and changing people’s perceptions of sharks, she grew into a large adult weighing 202 kg and measuring 275 cm in length.
“Given her weight of 69,4 kg and length of 251 cm on her arrival at the aquarium her growth was significant. She is now sexually mature, so we would like her to have the opportunity to reproduce and contribute offspring to the wild population.”
