GEORGIA AQUARIUM COMPLETES WHALE SHARK NECROPSY
Gross findings reported and analysis begins
ATLANTA (June 14, 2007) – The Georgia Aquarium completed a nine-hour gross
necropsy of Norton, the whale shark that died early Thursday morning, June 13, 2007.
Norton weighed 3,029 pounds (1,376.8 kilograms) and measured 21 feet 5 inches long
(652 centimeters). Aquarium scientists report that the gross necropsy did not produce
any immediate findings that explain the possible causes in the decline of Norton’s health.
The Georgia Aquarium believes that the decline in the health of both Norton and Ralph,
the whale shark that died in Jan. 2007, is related to their inappetance. During the
necropsy of Ralph, findings showed that he had an atypical stomach, which was thinwalled
and perforated; Norton’s stomach appeared normal. Studies will continue to see if
there is a link between their inappetance and a series of treatments used in 2006 to
manage parasites in the Ocean Voyager exhibit, or if there is another cause. The
treatment is commonly used in both home and professional aquariums and was used in
a conservative manner. As a precaution, the Aquarium stopped using this treatment after
the loss of appetite was observed.
Alice, Trixie, Taroko and Yushan, the Aquarium’s other whale sharks, did not experience
this same course of treatment, and they are all eating their complete diet and exhibiting
normal behavior.
Jeff Swanagan, President and Executive Director of the Georgia Aquarium said, "While
we may never know the exact cause of the decline in Norton’s health, the scientific
learning that will come from animals being here, and most important, being appreciated
by the millions of people who have had a chance to observe them, will be an important
contribution to future generations. Everything we learn is a new discovery, and we are
sharing this information with shark researchers and scientists around the world.â€
The samples taken from the necropsy are currently being studied by scientists across
the country. The process of analyzing the data takes many months. Samples from the
necropsy have been stored at temperatures of -80 degrees Fahrenheit, so that they may
be evaluated with future technology and shared with other institutions to advance the
understanding of whale sharks.
In Ralph’s necropsy, scientists discovered that whale sharks have a different mechanism
to control eye movement and a much more complex way of filtering water to catch food
than previously believed. Additional tests were conducted during Norton’s necropsy so
there will be a better understanding of these systems. These discoveries and others will
be studied in further detail and submitted to scientific journals.
“No one has ever done many of the things that our team does every day at the Georgia
Aquarium. And the mail that we receive, the emails that are sent to us and the
comments our staff has heard from more than five million adults and children who have
walked through our doors, tell us there are incomparable education and
research rewards that come from the Georgia Aquarium," Swanagan said.
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