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
How to Get Ahead of 99% of People
We all want better for ourselves. Whether it’s a bigger house, nicer car, higher salary, thriving business, or more recognition, we all want things we don’t have. Most of us spend the majority of our lives chasing these things. Success looks different to …
An In-Depth Interview with Emily Watson From 'Genius' | Genius
[music playing] EMILY WATSON: Hi, I’m Emily Watson. I play Elsa Einstein, a genius. Please don’t. This is the third time I’ve played Mrs. Geoffrey Rush. And we actually have a really nice working relationship. We just have that sense of feeling comfortab…
A day in my life Japan Vlog-Tokyo Korean Town
Hi guys, it’s me Rudy. Today I’m back with another Japan vlog! Somebody commented that he is bored of seeing the waking up and the breakfast scene that I always include in my vlogs, so today I will listen to that feedback and skip that part. If you’re int…
The discovery of the double helix structure of DNA
In 1865, Mendel, often considered the father of modern genetics, comes up with a structured way of thinking about these inheritable factors, which we now call genes. Then, as we go into the early 1900s, his work was rediscovered, and people started to say…
Can a Haircut Change Your Life? | The Story of Us
I’m in London to meet Joshua Coombes. He’s a hairdresser. And he believes small acts of love can make a big impact. Joshua hopes he can help the homeless, not by offering them money or food but by giving them a haircut. The reason I started cutting hair …
The Controversial Physics of Curling - COLD HARD SCIENCE - Smarter Every Day 111
Hey, it’s me Destin, welcome back to Smarter Every Day. So in the last episode, I explained that it’s not always the most athletic team that wins in sport; sometimes it involves the physical manipulation of objects, so sometimes it’s the most intelligent …