Free the Whale Sharks! I'm a big fan of aquariums and zoos, and I believe that their mission of research and promoting awareness of animal life justifies holding some animals in captivity. Just not this one:




That was a whale shark held in captivity at the Georgia Aquarium. Named "Norton"—an improbable attempt to turn something magical into something cute—it died yesterday, the second whale shark to die there this year.

Whale sharks can grow to be about 45 feet long, and no other aquarium has ever tried to hold them on display. They are also migratory animals, and though their patterns of migration are not well understood, some think that their migrations can last for years.

So even if the aquarium could keep these animals alive, it still shouldn't keep them. There's no tank big enough for an animal that migrates hundreds of miles.....  ¶ 7:43 AM