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
Khan Academy in the classroom | Limits and continuity | AP Calculus AB | Khan Academy
We have this big moment, and the moment is that for 35 years of my teaching career, I walked into the classroom having no idea if the kids had done the homework or what their commitment was to this subject. And then suddenly, there’s this coaching platfor…
16 minutes of even more useless information..
Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana. I mean, fruit flies don’t fly like a banana. Even bananas probably don’t fly like bananas. Not like I’ve seen a banana fly. Have you seen? I’m just saying that fruit flies like a banana. Okay, I’m s…
The 5 BEST Investments To Make in Your 20s
What’s up, Graham? It’s Guys here. So listen, I realize it’s easy to get sidetracked online with stories about how the world is falling apart, the perpetually upcoming stock market collapse, and Jeff Bezos’ NASA lawsuit that’s so big it keeps crashing com…
Dianna Health Update from SmarterEveryDay
I’ve got some good news and, um, it’s a little complicated, but I would love to explain it to you. My name is Dustin, by the way. Uh, I have a YouTube channel called Smarter Every Day, and this is Physics Girl; this is Diana’s channel. Uh, recently, I we…
THE FED JUST BAILED OUT THE STOCK MARKET AGAIN
What’s up you guys, it’s Graham here. So it finally happened! It’s now official! We’ve been waiting weeks for this announcement to come to light, and until now we’ve just been hypothesizing about what’s going on and how this is going to impact everyone wa…
12 STOIC PRINCIPLES FOR IMMEDIATE LIFE TRANSFORMATION | STOICISM INSIGHTS
Welcome back to Stoicism Insights, your go-to destination for timeless wisdom and practical life lessons inspired by the ancient philosophy of Stoicism. Today, we have something special in store for you. Prepare to embark on a journey of self-discovery, r…