Look: Dané, a ragged-tooth shark, is safely returned to the ocean

Dané, a female ragged-tooth shark, was successfully released by the Two Oceans Aquarium off Struisbaai Main Beach on 29 March 2023. Six aquarium staff members accompanied her at every stage of her journey to ensure a calm and safe return to her wild home.

The release was photographed by Jean Tresfon, a marine conservation photographer.

Dané was caught off the coast of Seavale near East London in 2017 with the help of local angler Mike Dedericks, according to Ethan Smit and Heather Wares of the Two Oceans Aquarium.

Given the honour of naming her, as is customary for anglers who assist in the capture of these magnificent ragged-tooth sharks, Mike quickly settled on Dané.

Dané was carefully placed in a secure tank on a large truck for road transport to Struisbaai prior to her release.

‘All precautions were taken through careful medical monitoring along the way. On arrival, final blood tests and vitals were taken, and then she was lifted from the holding tank and carried by the team down to the water’s edge,’ said Dr Ilse Jenkinson, the Two Oceans Aquarium vet.

The Struisbaai community was ecstatic as they watched Dané’s return to the open ocean and learned about the Aquarium’s shark conservation efforts. After the formalities were completed, the Two Oceans Aquarium curatorial team walked Dané into the ocean in her stretcher and stood with her for 10 minutes to allow her to acclimatise.

Taking their cue from Dané’s push against the stretcher’s constraints, the team released her, with two divers keeping a close eye on her initial open ocean behaviour.

Dané, like other sharks released by the Aquarium, has been tagged so that her movements along the coast can be tracked.

This helps gather scientific information about sharks while also raising awareness about their plight in an ocean threatened by human impact.

Dané was given a spaghetti tag, which includes a tag number as well as the address of the organisation that issued the tag.

Farewell to Dané, as she embarks on her exciting journey outside of the Two Oceans Aquarium and into the big blue!

Written by Sarah Du Toit

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