Only a Few Aquariums in the World Keep Great White Sharks
Most major aquariums do not have great white sharks. The species is extremely difficult and expensive to keep in captivity—they require massive tanks, constant movement to breathe, and live prey that costs thousands of dollars per week. As of now, only two aquariums in the United States have successfully maintained great white sharks for extended periods: the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California and the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Both facilities have the resources, tank size, and informed that smaller aquariums straightforward cannot match.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has the longest track record. They first displayed a great white shark in 2004 and have periodically brought them back since then, though not always on a permanent basis. The Georgia Aquarium, which opened in 2005, has also housed great white sharks at various points. Neither facility keeps them year-round as a permanent exhibit—the sharks are typically on display for months at a time before being released back into the ocean.
Key Takeaways
- The Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California, was the first U.S. aquarium to successfully display a great white shark and remains the most experienced facility.
- The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta has also kept great white sharks, though displays are not permanent and the sharks are eventually released.
- Great white sharks require tanks larger than most aquariums can build, constant water circulation, and live fish as food, making them impractical for most facilities.
- International aquariums in Japan and South Africa have also attempted to keep great white sharks with varying degrees of success.
Why the Monterey Bay Aquarium Leads in Great White Shark Care
The Monterey Bay Aquarium's success comes from its location and resources. Monterey Bay itself is home to great white sharks in the wild, so the facility can work with local marine biologists and researchers who understand the species' behavior in its natural habitat. The aquarium's main tank, called the Kelp Forest exhibit, is 335,000 gallons and designed to accommodate large predators. This size is essential—great white sharks need room to swim constantly, as they must keep moving to push water over their gills and breathe.
The facility also has the budget to source live fish for feeding. Great white sharks in captivity will not eat dead or frozen food; they require live prey such as mackerel, herring, or smaller sharks. A single great white shark can eat hundreds of pounds of live fish per week, which costs tens of thousands of dollars monthly. Most aquariums cannot sustain this expense.
When the Monterey Bay Aquarium does display a great white shark, the animal is typically captured from the wild as a juvenile and held for several months before being released. This approach reduces stress on the shark and acknowledges that long-term captivity may not be ideal for the species, even in the best facilities.
The Georgia Aquarium's Great White Shark Program
The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta has housed great white sharks in its Ocean Voyager exhibit, one of the largest tanks in the world at 6.3 million gallons. Despite the enormous tank size, the facility has faced challenges keeping great white sharks alive for extended periods. The sharks have typically survived for weeks to a few months before dying or being released.
The Georgia Aquarium's experience highlights a key problem: even the world's largest tanks may not fully replicate the conditions great white sharks need. These sharks are highly migratory in the wild, traveling thousands of miles across ocean basins. Confinement, even in a massive tank, appears to cause stress that affects their health and lifespan.
International Aquariums with Great White Sharks
Outside the United States, a few other facilities have attempted to keep great white sharks. The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan has housed great white sharks, though with limited success. The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, has also tried to display them but faced similar challenges to other facilities.
In South Africa, the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town has worked with great white sharks, though primarily for research and rehabilitation rather than long-term display. The facility focuses on understanding the species rather than maintaining permanent exhibits.
What Makes Great White Sharks So Hard to Keep
Great white sharks have several biological needs that make captivity extremely challenging. First, they are obligate ram ventilators, meaning they must swim constantly to force water over their gills. They cannot stop moving without suffocating. This constant motion requires enormous tanks with excellent water circulation.
Second, they are apex predators with high metabolic rates. They need large amounts of food, and in captivity they will only eat live prey. Dead or frozen food triggers no feeding response, so aquariums must maintain live fish populations specifically for feeding the shark.
Third, great white sharks are highly sensitive to stress. Capture, transport, and confinement in a tank—no matter how large—cause measurable stress responses. This stress appears to shorten their lifespan in captivity compared to the wild, where they can live 30 years or more.
How to Find Current Great White Shark Displays
If you want to see a great white shark in an aquarium, check the websites of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Georgia Aquarium directly. Both facilities update their exhibit information regularly, and great white shark displays are not permanent. You may need to call ahead or check their current exhibit schedules before planning a visit.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium's website lists all current and past great white shark exhibits with dates. The Georgia Aquarium does the same. Neither facility guarantees that a great white shark will be on display at any given time, so verification before your trip is essential.
Why Most Aquariums Don't Have Great White Sharks
The vast majority of aquariums focus on species that thrive in captivity. Fish like rays, smaller sharks, and schooling fish adapt well to tank life and live long, healthy lives. Great white sharks, by contrast, are poor candidates for permanent captivity. The cost, space requirements, and ethical concerns about confining a highly migratory predator make them impractical for most facilities.
Many aquariums instead feature educational displays about great white sharks, including videos, skeletal models, and information about their behavior in the wild. These exhibits teach visitors about the species without requiring live animals in tanks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see a great white shark at any aquarium near me?
Only the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California and the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta have housed great white sharks, and displays are not permanent. Check their websites for current exhibit schedules. Most other aquariums do not have the resources or tank size to keep this species.
Why don't more aquariums have great white sharks?
Great white sharks require massive tanks, constant water movement, live food that costs thousands per week, and they do not adapt well to captivity. Most aquariums focus on species that thrive in tank environments instead. The ethical and practical challenges make permanent displays extremely rare.
How long do great white sharks live in aquariums?
Great white sharks in captivity typically survive for weeks to a few months, much shorter than their 30+ year lifespan in the wild. Even in the largest tanks, confinement appears to cause stress that affects their health and survival.
Do great white sharks eat the same food in aquariums as in the wild?
In captivity, great white sharks eat live fish such as mackerel and herring. In the wild, they hunt seals, sea lions, and other large prey. Aquariums cannot replicate natural hunting, so they provide live fish as a substitute, though this is far less nutritionally complete than their natural diet.
Has any aquarium successfully kept a great white shark long-term?
No aquarium has successfully kept a great white shark permanently. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has the longest track record, with displays lasting several months, but the sharks are eventually released. Long-term captivity of this species remains biologically and practically unfeasible.