In the wake of shark-killing fury spurred on by
the 1975 movie \"Jaws,\" the aquarium serves as a
respository for information about a
misunderstood beast that is
critical to the entire marine ecosystem.
Two sand tiger sharks circle the water beneath the catwalk behind the scenes at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. This species exists in salt waters along the East Coast, including in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. (WTOP/Paul D. Shinkman)
WTOP/Paul D. Shinkman
A sand tiger shark circling while aquarium
staffers prepare its food. Click on
the right arrow to see videos of the tanks and
feeding. (WTOP/Paul D. Shinkman)
WTOP/Paul D. Shinkman
Behind the Scenes at the National Aquarium Alan D. Henningsen, fishes
research specialist at the National Aquarium in
Baltimore, takes WTOP on a behind-the-scenes
tour of the shark facilities. This catwalk hangs
directly over the shark tanks visible in the
main atrium of the National Aquarium. Check out
these
videos as Henningsen discusses sawfish, sand
tiger sharks and sandbar sharks, and takes us
through a feeding.
(WTOP/Paul D. Shinkman)(WTOP/Paul D. Shinkman)
Henningsen and Heather Renee, an intern at the
aquarium and student at UNC Wilmington, prepare to
feed the sharks and document their habits. (WTOP/
Paul D. Shinkman)
How to Feed the Sharks Henningsen explains the method for feeding the
sharks. Working with his assistant Heather
Renee, an intern from UNC Wilmington, he
meticulously documents everything the sharks
ingest and how they behave. Sharks will steal
food from one another, so if any eats more than
its daily allotment, the staff will have to
adjust its food the following day. He uses
a long piece of PVC pipe with wire attached to
the end to position the food in a way the sharks
would naturally come across it. (WTOP/Paul D.
Shinkman)
Sand Tiger Shark As Henningson prepares the bait, an 8-foot sand
tiger shark begins to circle beneath the catwalk.
(WTOP/Paul D. Shinkman)
Takes the Bait The 8-foot sand tiger shark takes the bait. This
species is indigenous to regional waters off the
coasts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
(WTOP/Paul D. Shinkman)
Sawfish Henningsen takes WTOP around the catwalk to the
sawfish tank to feed these 9-foot creatures.
Originally, these members of the ray family
could
be found in waters off the Maryland, Delaware
and
Virginia coasts, but their toothy snouts -- used
to
spear fish and for self-defense -- were often
entangled in fishing nets. Fishermen would
usually
opt to cut the snouts off and leave them for
dead. (WTOP/Paul D. Shinkman)
Alan Henningsen is a fishes research specialist at
the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Sharks carry a
stigma that
they are "mindless killing machines," he says.
"Part of what we try to do is dispel those myths.
They are predators and they have very important
functions." (WTOP/Paul D. Shinkman)
BALTIMORE – Dangerous, 9-foot sharks are in the waters of the Washington area.
Fortunately, they’re isolated and under constant observation.
The National Aquarium‘s locations in D.C. and Baltimore serve as a clearinghouse for shark-related information. They provide an opportunity for visitors to see a variety of species up close and for staff to conduct research on their in-house specimens.
“They’re designed to be predators, that’s what they’re good at,” says Alan Henningsen, fishes research specialist at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. He explains that parts of the nation, such as California and Florida, witness higher incidence of shark attacks due to greater numbers of people in the water and a larger variety of sharks. Beaches along the coasts in D.C., Maryland and Virginia have fewer of all of these factors.
Still, sharks carry a stigma that they are “mindless killing machines,” he says.
“Part of what we try to do is dispel those myths,” he says. “They are predators and they have very important functions.”
Henningsen took WTOP on a behind-the-scenes tour of a shark and sawfish feeding at the National Aquarium’s Baltimore location. Check out video and pictures in the gallery at right. Some species at the aquarium still exist in regional waters.
The sawfish, however, used to be found off regional beaches on occasion, but its population suffered due to commercial fishing. This member of the ray family has a toothy snout — used to spear fish and for self-defense — which was often entangled in fishing nets. Instead of untangling them, fishermen usually would opt to cut the snouts off and leave them for dead, Henningsen says, causing their numbers to dwindle. See a video of the sawfish feeding in the gallery at right.
Learn more about how sharks contribute to oceans and rivers here.
