Yeah, Right, Whatever

A great white shark that has been held in captivity in California far longer than any other member of its species has killed two smaller tankmates, heightening critics' calls for the animal's release.

Big shark kills little shark and this makes the news? Sounds like Nature at its finest.

One of the soupfin sharks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium died Feb. 23 after an attack by the great white. The second soupfin died Tuesday from injuries received in an attack a day earlier, said Randy Kochevar, a marine biologist at the aquarium.

Soupfin, eh? Well, that explains it. Dinner!

The year-old shark has been at the aquarium for nearly six months; no other great white has stayed alive for more than 16 days in captivity. The female shark came to the aquarium Sept. 15 after a halibut fisherman accidentally netted it off the Orange County coast. Aquarium officials believe the 88-pound, 5-foot-3-inch shark attacked the smaller, slower animals only as a reflex when it bumped the other sharks, not in a predatory rage.

Seriously now, they need to release her back into the wild as soon as possible. I know that marine biologists are giddy over the idea of being able to observe a great white up close and personal, and I know that having her in the tank is great for getting the public involved. But, as the article points out later, she's in a giant bucket. Great whites have huge territories, and while they might think it's plenty of room, it's like moving from a mansion on several acres to a studio apartment.

There is a reason that great whites don't usually last in captivity- they weren't made that way. Let her go. She's obviously nervous and frustrated. Just let her go.