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
Privacy Policy
Last Updated: 2024-11-07T15:51:10Z Thank you for choosing https://yego.me for your web service needs. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about how we collect, use, and share your information. This Privacy Policy outline…
Space Invaders: Solving the Invasive Species Explosion | National Geographic
Our ocean supports every living thing on the planet. And yet, climate change, overfishing, and pollution are threatening marine ecosystems everywhere. To protect them, we need to understand them. Invasive species are disrupting ecosystems across the Medit…
Resource | Vocabulary | Khan Academy
Gather your wits about you, word Smiths, because the word we’re talking about today is resource! Food in the pantry, diamonds in the mind, wealth, brain power—resource. It’s a noun; it means wealth, money, minerals, land, or other useful things. We can t…
How I handle crises.
Overnight cost two nights. I mean, we’re selling the plane. Here’s the day in my life handling crisis and unexpected challenges. I arrive at the office early to get a head start. My first task is ensuring everything is in order. During our morning briefi…
Trapped in the icy waters of the Northwest Passage | Podcast | Overheard at National Geographic
Foreign, so look, I know we’re going to get into the whole journey, but let’s start with tell me about the moment on this journey when you felt the most scared. Okay, that’s a good one. [Laughter] Um, this is Mark Senate. He’s a long-time National Geogra…
Being Unhappy Is Very Inefficient
Besides, I’m too smart for it. The other objection is I don’t want it to lower my productivity. I don’t want to have less desire or less work ethic. Fact-check, and that is true. The more happy you are, the more content and peaceful you are. That’s less l…