yego.me
💡 Stop wasting time. Read Youtube instead of watch. Download Chrome Extension

Great White Sharks of Guadalupe Island | Most Wanted Sharks


2m read
·Nov 11, 2024

NARRATOR: But everyone loves Lucy. The story of this great white is the classic "Finding Nemo" tale, but about 2,000 pounds heavier. When divers spotted Lucy back in 2008, her distinctive tail wound looked fresh. And she seemed in desperate need of a good meal. A damaged caudal often puts a shark's life in danger. It's crucial for propelling a shark through water.

APRYL BOYLE: Lucy's tail deformity could be from fighting with another shark when she was younger.

NARRATOR: And Lucy's not only survived, she's thrived. She did it by modifying the way she swims to sway a little more than the average great white. And now Lucy's adoring public keeps an eye out for her signature floppy fin and her unique swagger. Unlike other female great whites, Lucy returns to Guadalupe Island every year. And that is because she has not given birth yet. If she did, she'd be gone at least 12 to 18 months, because that's how long a shark pregnancy lasts.

NARRATOR: Fans don't know for sure why Lucy is still not a mom. It could be that male sharks are turned off by her misshapen fin. Or maybe Lucy hasn't yet met Zapata, the most famous and recognizable male great white of Guadalupe Island. This tough guy is a 14-footer, who has mixed it up with other apex predators and has the battle scars to prove it.

RALPH COLLIER: Zapata is a very large shark. To sustain the wounds it received, the attacking shark must have been very large, possibly 18 or 20 feet in length.

NARRATOR: He might not play well with other sharks. But luckily, unlike Bullet, Zapata actually enjoys hanging out with people. That's my favorite shark right there, Zapata.

NARRATOR: Scarboard, at an intimidating 18 feet long, isn't just one of the most massive sharks at Guadalupe Island, she's one of the biggest great whites in the world. But like all sharks, no one will know for sure how old she is until after she dies.

RALPH COLLIER: One of the ways to determine the age of a shark is by dissecting it. If we cut through a vertebra, we can see rings similar to those of a tree showing annual growth. She got her nautically themed name because of scars on the right, or starboard, side of her body.

APRYL BOYLE: When sharks engage in head-to-head combat, they can do incredible damage to each other, which is what happened to Scarboard. But sharks have amazing healing abilities.

NARRATOR: Scarboard shows up at Guadalupe every other year. And the next time you see her, many of her scars might be gone. Bullet, Lucy, Zapata, and Scarboard, four sharks whose physical flaws grabbed our attention and helped make them famous.

More Articles

View All
Nike vs Adidas: Who Won The Game?
The sneakers industry can be described in one word: ruthless. This is precisely the reason why a handful of companies have continued to dominate the market for decades. But who are the top two leaders in the industry? Well, you might know the answer alrea…
Introduction to Grammar | Grammar | Khan Academy
Hi everyone, my name is David and I’m here to introduce you to grammar on Con Academy. Welcome! I’m so glad you could join me. So let’s start by asking the question: What is grammar? What is this thing? Why is it worthwhile to study it? Why would you wan…
$1 Trillion Joke | Market Cap (Short)
We’re gonna talk about the Apple one trillion dollar market cap and explain why this is such a silly number, and it’s actually based on false math. The problem is this formula for market cap, the math here, if you just multiply the spot and shares outstan…
Will Markets Crash if Harris Wins?
It would be bad for the market. So Harris wins, right? Well, it depends what happens between now and election. If she came out tomorrow morning, or even this afternoon, after the FED decision, and said, “Here’s my 10-point plan,” specifically around taxes…
What If We Detonated All Nuclear Bombs at Once?
Many of our viewers have asked us a very serious question: What if we made a big pile of bombs and exploded every nuclear weapon in the world all at once? Strangely enough, we couldn’t find a good source to answer this question to our satisfaction. So, we…
The Contradiction In The U.S. Constitution
Did you know that one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century discovered a logical contradiction in the US Constitution that, if found, could be used to legally change America’s democracy into a dictatorship? Well, he did, but we no longer kno…