The Two Oceans Aquarium released Gen, the ragged-tooth shark, into the open ocean in Struisbaai

On 18 March 2025, the Two Oceans Aquarium successfully released ragged-tooth shark Gen in Struisbaai! This was a special moment for the team that cared for Gen during her time at the Aquarium, as well as another exciting step towards the future conservation of ragged-tooth sharks.

What happened leading up to release day?

The preparation leading up to Gen’s release was extensive. She was removed from the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit and temporarily placed in separate housing. The purpose of this was for our veterinarian, Dr Ilse Jenkinson, to be able to closely monitor Gen’s health for a period before the release. This included regular health checks and monitoring of blood and vital signs.

The morning of the release, Gen was carefully moved into a secure chamber on a large truck for transport by road to Struisbaai. At every stage of her journey, she was accompanied by our dedicated Curatorial staff members to ensure a calm and safe return to her wild home. The journey also had multiple stops for Dr Ilse to ensure that Gen was doing well.

Arriving in Struisbaai, the team prepared for the exciting moment. The Aquarium frequently releases ragged-tooth sharks in this area as a portion of the existing wild population migrates along the Agulhas ridge off the coast of Struisbaai towards the warmer waters of Kwa-Zulu Natal. It was an overcast day, with a few curious onlookers on site and ready to see Gen off back into the open ocean.

The Aquarium’s Curatorial team walked Gen into the surf on a specially designed stretcher, where she immediately showed signs of readiness to return to her wild home. Taking their cue from Gen as she pushed against the constraints of the stretcher, the team released her, with two divers keeping a watchful eye to monitor her initial open ocean behaviour.

Dr Jenkinson declared the release a success, saying that Gen had a good and strong response before being released. She swam off quickly into the ocean with the Aquarium team watching proudly.

A big thank you to the Struisbaai community for their enthusiasm and kindness in welcoming Gen home.

Gen’s journey as an ambassador for her species

Gen was brought to the Two Oceans Aquarium on 30 June 2017 after being collected by a fisher off the coast of East London. She weighed just 62kg and measured 238cm in length. In line with the Aquarium’s tradition, the fisher was given the honour of naming the shark, and he chose his wife’s name. Gen was housed in the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibitat the Two Oceans Aquariumfor eight years and grew to be one of the largest sharks in the space.

Ragged-tooth sharks are threatened around the world because they are slow to reach sexual maturity, give birth to few young, and are highly vulnerable to over-fishing because of their inshore movements. The ragged-tooth sharks housed in the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit are considered ambassadors for their species – championing their future conservation and breaking misconceptions about sharks.

“In her time at the Two Oceans Aquarium, while playing an important role as an awareness-raising ambassador, Gen grew into a large adult weighing 209kg and measuring 286cm in length. She is now sexually mature, so we would like her to have the opportunity to reproduce and contribute to the wild population,” said Dr Jenkinson.

Like many other marine species in the Aquarium’s care, ragged-tooth sharks are only kept at the Aquarium for a short time before being returned to the wild. A passionate Dr Jenkinson explained, “Catch and release is a central component of the ragged-tooth shark conservation programme at the Two Oceans Aquarium. The reason for including them in our exhibits is to be an ambassador species for sharks, educating our visitors on the wonder of what is under the ocean. The message these sharks deliver is not to fear them but to be in awe and wonder of these complex animals.”

Shark tagging

Like other sharks released by the Aquarium, Gen was fitted with a tag so that her movements can be tracked as she moves along the coast. “This helps us gain scientific information about the sharks and also helps raise awareness about their plight in an ocean under threat by human impact,” said Kevin Spiby, Two Oceans Aquarium Curator.

Gen was tagged with a spaghetti tag, which displays a tag number and address of the organisation that fitted the tag.

If a fisher catches a tagged shark, they are encouraged to note the tag number, location, and date on which they caught the shark and record its length if possible. This information should then be sent to the address on the tag. When the organisation receives the information, they can see how far the shark has travelled and how much it has grown since it was tagged and released.

The Two Oceans Aquarium team is proud of how well Gen’s release went, and how strongly she swam off back into her ocean home. Curator Kevin Spiby reflected, “We had the privilege of returning one of our largest ragged-tooth sharks to the big blue. During Gen’s time at the Aquarium, she was a true ambassador for her species and educated thousands of visitors, highlighting the importance of sharks in the marine environment.”