It Is Literally Impossible To Keep A Great White Shark In Captivity

Fact Fiend Merchandise available at:
www.redbubble.com/people/fact...
To watch the Raw Cuts of Videos, check out:
/ factfiendbehindthefacts
-----------------------------------------
Join us on Twitch:
/ karlswood
Listen to Karl and Lucas's Podcast:
open.spotify.com/show/5D4o5HR...
-----------------------------------------
Starring Karl Smallwood
/ @factfiendgaming
/ karlsmallwood
/ karlswood
Featuring and Edited by Nisha Revill:
/ @theneeshproductions
/ midnight_neesh
/ midnightneesh
-----------------------------------------
Original Article:
www.factfiend.com/literally-im...
Sources:
www.sfgate.com/news/article/G...
www.vice.com/en/article/jpgqy...
www.sharkbookings.com/why-gre...
www.sciencealert.com/the-reas...
www.theatlantic.com/science/a...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_s...
royalsocietypublishing.org/do...
www.hindustantimes.com/world-...
Clips:
The Simpsons (TV Series 1989- ),
www.imdb.com/title/tt0096697/
Would I Lie to You? (TV Series 2007-),
www.imdb.com/title/tt1055238/
Images:
Great White Shark,
Terry Goss, CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b..., via Wikimedia Commons
Killer Whale,
Robert Pittman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Big Narstie,
AWH1985, CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commonss
Tiger,
Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
Music:
From filmmusic.io
"Two Finger Johnny" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)

[@darthvaderreviews6926]

I think from their perspective, it's the closest thing creatures can experience to an actual Lovecraftian experience. Imagine your _entire perception of reality_ suddenly shrinking to just one house you don't recognise, with an absolute void outside of it

[@victorpena5217]

"Death is better than bondage" -Killmonger Apparently great whites have a true warrior mentality and heart.

[@ilovemalechickens]

I dunno man, bondage is pretty sweet

[@victorpena5217]

@@ilovemalechickens lol I see what u did there

[@theneighborsdog5625]

Yup lol. So badass.

[@johns1307]

Imagine being able to sense electrical activity, and being put in the middle of a city with people standing 10 feet away with cellphones putting out constant electrical signals. It would be like putting a person in a box and using millions of speakers to blast the entire discography of the world at ear-bleedingly loud levels. Pretty sure the weakest would die instantly.

[@stevenhair3250]

You’re halfway right. You do know there are many animals that sense EMF already in aquariums in captivity pretty sure it’s enclosed space and Less than ideal conditions. Like he said it causes stress and stress kills. Add on what you said and it all adds up to senseless death.

[@morganrobinson8042]

If I remember right their sense is based on detecting ions in the water, not induction or anything. Cell phones would be as isolated from them in their tank as the rest of the world. I would bet that's the actual problem, they're basically in sensory deprivation, not overload.

[@SirBroadcast]

They can only sense what's in the water so its not excess its lack thereof.

[@ThePersia450]

@@morganrobinson8042 this certainly seems more plausible

[@jorgetellez2495]

Your wrong idea is literally the same thing as the made up disease Chuck from Better call Saul thought he had lol

[@ToaArcan]

"I do not vibe with this aquarium." [Dies]

[@drflannelxd904]

"What the FUCK?!" -witnessing Octopus

[@MrJustTheBest]

@@drflannelxd904 I DONT KNOW MAN -witnessing whale shark

[@spoodermemes8045]

Sharks have eaten the Internet more times than you have ever held hands with anyone

[@thedevilisaloser666]

Damn sharks ate the internet once?

[@kingarthurthe5th]

@@thedevilisaloser666 ah the selfburn.

[@scottcantdance804]

@@thedevilisaloser666 the undersea cables that carry internet traffic keep getting chewed on by sharks, yes.

[@GodwynThePrinceOfDeath]

@@thedevilisaloser666 multiple times

[@bradengauthier]

Oof

[@Web4Brainz]

Sharks and alligators/crocodiles really reached a peak millions of years ago and thought lemme keep all my skills and superior hunting tactics but I’m gonna get a bit smaller

[@kazmo9148]

No fun if you are too big. Gotta keep things exciting

[@jsalas5400]

Impossible to say there aren't giant ones just chilling at the bottom of the ocean somewhere

[@longodongo9708]

@@jsalas5400 not a lot of things can live down there And a giant creature would need a lot of food so probably not

[@jsalas5400]

@@TheDisplacerBeast tough to say. Theres plenty of giant creatures down there and we don't know enough about how they evolved if they even did, to say what their eating habits are like. One giant squid orn sprem whale could satisfy them for months

[@jsalas5400]

Not disagreeing just saying. A few 100 or less megs could be sustainable in our current aquatic environment

[@bigginsd1]

There are tuna farms in South Australia near where I grew up that air freight tuna direct to Tokyo Sushi Restaurants for thousands of dollars per fish. It is why Pt Lincoln, a town of only 30,000 people, has an International Airport. A few years ago a Great White Shark got into one of the farms and just swam around in circles eating thousands of dollars worth of fish with every bite. After a couple of days they managed to cut a huge hole in the side, and as soon as the shark saw the hole it quickly dashed towards it and got out. They were expecting it to be hard to get the shark out, but I think it was just sick of how little challenge eating all that tuna was.

[@morganrobinson8042]

Of course sharks are dramatic, they are nature's perfect Edgelords.

[@morganrobinson8042]

@Theodorus Benjamin Sasikarana Shark skin is made of tiny knives, their jaws are a rolodex of razors, many eat their siblings in the womb, and their eyes are pitch black. Your overgrown porpoise may kill a shark, but it will never be edgier.

[@SEDYT358]

The difference between an edgelord and legitimate cool is the amount of effort... sharks are simply, naturally, inherently cool... edgelords are just failed attempts at cool

[@returntodarkness1]

Orcas are Jocks

[@kimberlyterasaki4843]

It’s pretty tragic that people kept trying after so many failed attempts. Except now I want Free Willy with a great white shark.

[@Sarindanvelor]

pretty sure that's just jaws

[@scottcantdance804]

@@Sarindanvelor pretty sure it's almost literally the plot of Jaws 3

[@smiddlehurst1]

Isn’t that just Deep Blue Sea with slightly less dodgy science?

[@AugustoEL]

@@killiancraftofcraftyworks975 don't give them ideas

[@mr.badguy8500]

Look for the Manga called "Killer Shark in Another World".

[@killdyouback]

"Great White Sharks are perfect evolutionary creatures" Also "Great White Sharks die if you flip them over"

[@dylaneagen880]

Not to mention Great Whites breathe through ram ventilation so if they aren't in constant forward motion they'll die as they lack the bony gills of non shark species that pumps water over their gills even when they're not moving.

[@scottcantdance804]

I mean other than humans, what the hell is going to flip a great white shark over? Maybe an orca or something, but very, very few animals in existence would be capable.

[@killdyouback]

@@scottcantdance804 yeah, I know, it's just a funny dichotomy to me.

[@jameson1239]

They don’t die they black out

[@xTGRxREAPER]

@@scottcantdance804 asshole dolphins 🤣

[@A-1-Sawce]

I saw the great white at Monterey bay aquarium years back. It was really cool, my buddy and I went like 4 times just to go see it. We had no idea at the time how unusual it was to have a great white in captivity for any amount of time, let alone long enough that we were all going to check it out multiple times.

[@therealhudlesshorseman]

I got to see one be fed while at sea world when I was a child. It was absolutely insane.

[@botman8762]

That display in the aquarium is my favorite part every time I go, the great white was really cool to see but I understand why they couldn’t keep it

[@redbinha]

Great white sharks are so perfectly evolved that they found a way to bypass human's urge to keep other creatures captive.

[@longdeath8843]

It's not that sharks drown when flipped over. It's that they enter a state called Tonic Immobility. They basically go into a trance.

[@captainahab5522]

If they aren’t swimming they can’t breathe

[@longdeath8843]

@@captainahab5522 do some research dude. Scientists actually use this method to treat sharks medically and/transport them.

[@captainahab5522]

@@longdeath8843 I know that but if they remain in tonic immobility for too long they will suffocate as they need water to flow through their gills and can only do that by moving through the water

[@RealBradMiller]

@@longdeath8843 Yes, and they pump oxygenated water over the gills constantly during such procedures.

[@Sock66]

"Long strong and two tons of fun" LOL

[@nobodyofconsequence6522]

"Sharks are the pinncale of evolution" - a man who does not realize just how many times crabs have independently evolved

[@Captaintrippz]

We should redefine evolution as the process of becoming a crab. /s (just in case people don't recognize this is obviously a joke)

[@Carlos-Mora]

I see your crabs, and I raise you worms. A design so versatile that even vertebrates tried to get in on the action this late into the game

[@quentinsavage1123]

Name one apex predator crab......

[@ThrobbertJomes]

@@quentinsavage1123 not an apex but I wouldn't fight a coconut crab if I had a Javelin Missile

[@fist-of-doom487]

What’s the pinnacle a creature that’s barely changed in millions of years and still dominating its habitat, or a favored evolutionary trait?

[@bennywarren9866]

Great white gets put in an aquarium. GW: NOPE beam me up God

[@KnucklesAndBig]

🦈"I do not vibe with this water" *dies*

[@Rationalasylum]

Literally sharks are the quote of, "you can't hold me."

[@ApexTraceur]

Imagine having an off switch and just fucking dying when something irks you 😂😂

[@Rottypops]

Big mood shark : "I don't like this" * *dies* * 😂

[@lennyface8195]

Me when I go literally anywhere: *"Damn, I kind of want to leave."*

[@NammyBabs]

Sharks are cool

[@Martin-fy2bp]

I like that cages for great white shark diving are made of Aluminium. Just bc stronger metals interfere with his magneto-sense and they attack it. So they pick a weak, non-magnetic (edited, thx commenters) metal bc stronger metals would get wrecked anyway.

[@DanielPereira-ey9nt]

Non ferrous

[@MySuperhappyfuntime]

I love non-metallic metals

[@gramfero]

@@MySuperhappyfuntime calcium is my fsv metal

[@nocare]

Aluminum is one of the strongest metals out there. By weight aluminum is stronger than both steel and titanium and magnesium is stronger than all 3 of those. By volume aluminum is weaker than steel but if you don't have space constraints thats not a problem. Since hardness isn't a big issue when stopping a shark an aluminum diving cage is actually safer than a steel one structurally; for the same weight cage.

[@tru_710]

Sharks also die when u put them into a lizard aquarium or a bird cage

[@laharlkent]

We don't know that for a fact, and don't give scientists any ideas!

[@Neolte]

Shark: "Not to be dramatic...but I wanna die!"

[@KateriFire9]

What I learned today: if you're feeling weak for having anxiety/panic attacks, remember even sharks get too stressed out, recover then bite back

[@holypengin6013]

did anyone else see the spooky editing ghost that pulled the mic pack back little by little after it was placed behind space jam

[@cheeseanpickle9832]

I was gonna comment on that too, I've watched it about 5 times, 🤣 cracks me up each time 😂🤣👻 It's at 0:53 secs in if anyone is interested.

[@alexbarker975]

A little reef shark is constantly bothered by the nuances of tank life. Something with a vastly larger territory, and the senses to hunt in that space, it doesn't surprise me at all that they can't cope.

[@theothertonydutch]

Sharks are amazing and I want it known that they're extremely cool and neat.

[@Wheely_Dan]

the ultimate rage quit

[@DasNuk]

Just remember, killer whales aren't whales. They are actually a member of the oceanic dolphin family.

[@chrissy9997]

When orcas, porpoises, and dolphins are toothed whales but somehow still not whales... This is why I just say cetaceans.

[@brandi_herself]

Thank you for actually calling a shark a fish. I'm so tired of hearing people say that sharks aren't fish because of the cartilage skeleton. They breathe water to get oxygen just like a boney fish.

[@auricstorm]

Same idea as the fact fish don't exist really (see Ql) Chondrichthyes and Osteoichthyes are different but definitely have visibly fish like characteristics...I get more pissed when they call whales fish

[@ttww1590]

I wonder if there is a link between attacks on under water cables and captivity issues. Possibly noise, electrical fields,etc.

[@ensuizan9057]

True power is a cat in a shark costume

[@notnguyen8942]

Fun fact: Sharks have been the pinnacle of evolution for so long they are actually older then trees. Sharks are 450 million years old, whereas trees are only 350 million years old.

[@NitroIndigo]

And in the Carboniferous, there were no organisms that could decompose trees.

[@retardcorpsman]

Nitro Indigo …until plant eating fungi was born! Among a pile of dead trees that suffocated themselves with oxygen……literally.

[@SharkBait-eo1yw]

i should have looked through the comments before i commented lol i love that you know this too, sharks are incredible : D

[@quentinsavage1123]

It's funny how you say "only" XD

[@sea_dog172]

Shark really be like "Death is a preferred choice than captivity"

[@Emmette0528]

Just a hair ball but what if it's because of pressure? They swim that far down, they are built to deal with those pressures. In captivity I dont believe they would ever be able to reach that pressure and their body loses the means to calibrate a vital part of their existence. Second theory off the cuff of the first, the electro sensor becomes so enveloped in interference that it overloads their brain and they stroke out. Maybe check the correlation between captivity location and density of interference against how fast they deteriorated?

[@jameson1239]

Sharks don’t have a swim bladder there less effected by pressure change

[@rizeagle33]

Orcas are the true apex predator of the ocean

[@yukihoshigaki]

You forgot to mention lactic acid build up! It’s part of the issues around not having as much place to roam, but it’s been documented that sharks in captivity have higher levels of lactic acid in their blood/muscles. Those higher levels are also correlated to lower chances of survival after release because of what it does to their muscles. This isn’t unique to white sharks, it’s an issue with all sharks, so it’s important for institutions to take that into consideration when planning to release sharks after being in captivity for any amount of time.

[@caralho5237]

Gotta take your shark for a walk once in a while!

[@themotions5967]

It does happen with most species but this issue varies widely depending on not only the species but the individual animals health. In fact With modern care standards and husbandry it’s not a issue with many shark species. most non pelagic species don’t have much of a issue with it at all, pelagic species we can keep vary from individual on levels, but have of more recent study decreased in likelihood to have any levels of buildup that would lead to any long term negative health issues on average for most species. The only species that really have been noted for drastic buildup that has lead to actual health issues are sharks with more adaptations for pelagic life such as mako sharks, great whites, basking sharks, and thresher sharks This can also be curbed with dietary supplementation, direct treatments, and enrichment programs which encourage physical activity .

[@yashosa2190]

I had the question of “why are those objects there?” To finally be answered in this video, many months ago, about sui-sharks

[@lostboy2056]

Spacejam hanging out in its own with karl

[@michealthomas4331]

"Imma do a swim. Blub, blub." -sharks

[@rizeagle33]

Besides being intelligent it's the social aspect that hurts them too.

[@scottcantdance804]

I was trying to picture what it would be like being confined to an area the size of a prison yard, as a human. Then I was thinking about the fact that as a human, I can sit still and do things in one place, or look at and study things, etc. Since most sharks have to keep moving continuously, I then started picturing being confined to an area that size of a prison yard and constantly having to walk along the edge of it, making loop, after loop, after loop, seeing the same bits of wall and ground over and over and over and over. It would be even worse for the shark, because in the ocean they can move in three dimensions. In a Sea World type tank, they're limited to almost two dimensions because of how shallow the tanks are compared to the open ocean. So to compare that to my prison yard analogy, you would have to remove a dimension from that and basically walk up and down a long narrow hallway. Can't imagine what that would do to your stress hormones over time. Even as a human, when you can keep yourself mentally occupied with other things, not having a primal urge to travel vast distances and hunt and whatever.

[@ironized]

Great whites aren’t social… atleast not socially dependent.

[@notakirakarakaza2118]

Shark: this isnt my water *refuses to elaborate further* *dies*

[@Nah-NoNeed_]

My roaming range hasn’t ventured far past my bedroom in 9 years. Except to get the jabs when I got them. Probably don’t even need them because of the lack of contact I have with other people 😂.

[@pyra4eva]

Sharks: Live free or die!! People In New Hampshire, US: Best motto ever.

[@MrDDiRusso]

BABY SHARK! DO DO DO DO! BABY SHARK! DO DO DO DO!

[@wmxx2000]

My first thought when you said "how would that type of captivity scale to a human" was in Futurama when Fry gets put in a a robot asylum and he is basically living in a closet.

[@SpacePlague]

Karl's shark facts are on point. Love to see another shark fan :D

[@Ped1]

09:41 "bloody hell" cracked me up 😂😂😂😂

[@aarondonnelly3509]

T-Rex doesn't wanna be fed he wants to hunt

[@gfg7788]

Great White: “Live Free or Die”

[@a15thcenturysuitofgothicarmor]

Virgin Great white VS Chad Orca

[@chrishnatusko6815]

Sharks literally dying from Affluenza

[@arynrink2432]

Sharks are cool, they are awesome, they eat the internet, and they are a mood. I like sharks, sharks are cool.

[@RealBradMiller]

Sharks ARE the moment.

[@markwuahlbuargg4780]

"The pinnacle of fish-based evolution"

[@Enderman121_]

This video is sponsored by surf shark

[@Jackofafewtrades]

Lmao my first thought "Wonder if this was that sponsorship segment that they just fleshed out."

[@seiboldtadelbertsmiter3735]

The apex predator chooses death over captivity. You may capture them but you can never hold them.

[@OdiousLupous]

A great white shark put into captivity vomited up a severed arm in its aquarium, they used the tattoo on it to identify the man. I think he was chopped up and chucked in the water and the shark just happened to eat some before he was captured.

[@matthewirizarry8467]

Train yourself to hear "Shart" instead of "Shark" and this video is 10x funnier.

[@storyspren]

Kinda curious about what the causes of death tended to be for those that died in captivity. Is it the food? Is it some behavior brought on by stress? Is it just the stress itself?

[@caz2834]

I think it was suicide. I’m not to sure tho

[@christofferthorsson7657]

I think they would not eat and starve to death.

[@Bro_wat]

probably a combination of poor health, stress, and depression

[@themotions5967]

Well what a lot of people don’t realize is that many of the countries that have had facilities try to keep these guys in this capacity only allow them to attempt it with a viable reason. as per regulations these countries have with the wAZA (a non profit org that allows zoos and aquariums to become welfare, and conservation accredited non profits) Animals like this can only be in long term captivity if they are deemed unreleasable due to health condition, or are part of a research program/active species survival program. And animals are Only allowed to directly be taken from the wild for long term care if they are either vital in securing a species survival under drastic circumstances, or as rescues. In short most of the great whites aquariums have been tasked with researching and trying to provide care for, were animals that were usually bi catch, that was considered injured or high too high risk to release in their current state. Meaning the aquariums were essentially given the animals to provide them what amounts to hospice care So essentially we don’t know the direct factor of captivity is causing the issue as we can’t tell for sure how much of the issue is the conditions we are providing. And how much of it is the fact these animals can easily die from stress and most of them come from high stress rescues

[@taulinbundy8820]

The Monty Python Killer Rabbit of the sea dying like that 😆

[@clmrsmn]

i love imagining a shark killing itself simply out of spite

[@petefarmbaker2055]

I'm liking the News Desk look!!

[@damienlycos1319]

When the existential crisis hits too hard

[@MissMTurner]

Well there goes my dream of keeping freakin' sharks with freakin' lasers on them.

[@the_chubby_jedi9189]

The king of the great white is like "Some of you may die and there's a sacrifice I'm willing to take to stay out of captivity"

[@joshuarogers9142]

Heck yeah Carl, knocking out of the park again mate. Keep up the good work, you're living the dream dude, even with the difficulties you're facing. Hope everyone is doing well on the Fact Team, ttfn.

[@JustinWillisDevil240Z]

this information really recontextualizes the film Deep Blue Sea.

[@SCP-49730]

Hail to the King

[@culster22]

Fun fact. Sharks existed on Earth before Trees!

[@truckerslife4767]

Making me feel old with space jams on the table

[@tilenlini]

There's an aquarium in my town, up until a few years ago they had a small shark localy from this area and one time they found it dead on the floor, it jumped out of its pool.

[@Little_Meower]

That's some nice space jam you have there

[@danjudex2475]

Sharks don't drown when they go upside down, what *does* happen is they enter a a trance and basically are hypnotized.

[@azurastar3223]

I always heard that the Great White had to constantly stay in motion or it would drown. If that is the case, being placed in a small space would limit its movement severely.

[@augustcannon]

All animals are cool as long as they're kept in their habitat

[@DRAGON-sf4ei]

The setup is almost the worst it’s ever been and I gotta say I love it XD

[@graysoul3753]

Sharks are the Pinnacle of sea predators Dolphin be like: am I a joke to you

[@hahnsaburo5708]

This means, that when the expansion of the sun occurs in about 5 billion years, it will probably be impossible to transport members of the great white sharks lineage off of the planet, if they still have the trait/s that make them unable to survive in captivity by then.

[@MintyDreams]

they'll be extinct by then. we won't change our ways

[@MageryGuy]

13k views in 2 hrs. Love your work.

[@that-guy5055]

A shart was held in captivity. A shart was held in captivity for a couple of months.

[@RaginKavu]

What about the other side of the glass? Maybe shark's sight are just too good, and their brains are more developed than we know, that they freak out, just by seeing something different than the sea, through the glass.

[@agrimmon]

Great white shark: gets captured Great white shark: “I do not vibe with this universe”

[@brandonbennett1316]

Should have called this one "great white sharks are deathly claustrophobic"

[@Drowzeeking04]

Wasn't this confirmed in that great documentary "Jaws 3D"?

[@Bigfishfuntime]

i see fact fiend talking about sharks I click

[@Red_sm1rk]

This sort of thing happens with monster fish in the aquarium hobby, they'll lash out if their tank mates are not comparable, water tempatures are off, filtration, the nitrites/nitrates level are off, the tank sizes and also the entire set up of the tank. Usually when involving the tank bigger is better. But when involving a great white shark, perhaps the best option (for keeping it in any sort of enclosure) is to built an underwater tank out in it's environment.

[@kellykelly13579]

Sharks or bears? Sharks, definitely.

[@scottvarley3823]

Ukabonk is called Sock-o-war in my family. It was only played for one weekend in 1999.

[@project_adderall4139]

I swear I remember some in a aquarium called aqua world back in Perth... But now I'm thinking my memory was wrong...

[@jarenmay4885]

"just the mere act of trapping a living being puts incredible strain on the body" (paraphrased) - From the show Baki Hanma

[@Jack_Swanston]

When a shark is turned upside down by a killer whale it goes into a coma like state called tonic immobility, just to add a bit to that section you talked about. Awesome vid man.

[@TheOneTrueGnomeKing]

What, a tennis ball in a sock? Homie don't play that!

[@gabemartinez2558]

I wonder if a great white could be held in something the size of a lake like an abandoned open pit mine or quarry.

[@wackapanda]

You know how impossible it is for a great white shark to swim in space?

[@bigcheese1061]

I like to think that they are just like: “Oh you think you can choose where I live and just keep me around for your entertainment? Fuck you I’m a great white shark you can’t contain me” *dies out of spite*

[@TheNukedNacho]

Great Whites in captivity are the pinnacle of “I do not vibe with this universe”

[@RyanRad01]

Shark be lit

[@kakonoteouji4876]

What about a megalodon? It's a good thing they don't tell the other creatures 'Hey guess what if you act like a dram queen they just release you.' lol

[@chrissy9997]

Last I checked, we haven't been able to revive extinct species from only fossilised teeth.