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
Mr. Freeman, part 03
Do you like prostitutes? Me, I like them very much! After all, it is the most ancient profession that has so much in common with politicians, actors, and journalists. In all cases, it’s possible to be the Creator or a buffoon, to deliver vulgar lust or tr…
Adam & Eve | What Can We Learn From Them?
There are many interpretations of the story of Adam and Eve, a creation narrative that is part of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, and shows that serious error results in serious torment. The story presents us different characters and objects, like the s…
Black Holes Explained – From Birth to Death
Black holes are one of the strangest things in existence. They don’t seem to make any sense at all. Where do they come from… and what happens if you fall into one? Stars are incredibly massive collections of mostly hydrogen atoms that collapsed from enor…
How Can Trees Be Taller Than 10m?
[Applause] Now, in a previous video, I showed you that you can only suck up a straw that’s 10.3 m long. And that’s even if you can create a perfect vacuum inside your mouth. If you haven’t seen the original video, check it out. But that raises an interes…
Shark Tank Star Kevin O'Leary's Morning Routine - A Day in the Life of a Multi-Millionaire
I’m Mr. Wonderful here, and I want to talk about this week’s episode of Ask Mr. Wonderful. It’s inspired by an email question from Atlanta. I’m gonna read it to you; you see what I mean. Hi, my name is Elizabeth from Atlanta. I’m one of your Instagram fo…
Mary Devotion Around the World | Explorer
[Music] I was approached by National Geographic last year to photograph people’s relationship with Mary. I traveled all around the world to some of the most unexpected places to document this project. I have my own questions about my faith. I was raised C…