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A Controversial Nightclub Attraction Perturbs PETA
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My first thought, when I heard of this place, was, "cool." If I had the chance to visit that place I wouldn't even dance, just stand there and stare at the fish swimming around while I drank my beer.
News Flash: Marie Osmond just collapsed on Dancing with the Stars. I just heard "caplunk" looked at the TV and there she was just laying there. They broke for commercial and when they returned host Tom Bergeron commented that when Maria came-to after fainting she noticed everyone looking down at her and said, "Oh crap." Maria is fine, by the way. She was quite winded after dancing and simply fainted. But what a thump, she's got to have a bruise somewhere after that fall!
Okay, so back to this shark aquarium dance floor...
Some controversy surrounds this attraction. After PETA learned of this club with a "sea floor" they contacted Qua in hopes that the club would have a change of heart and take the sharks, rays and other fish back to their natural environment. Why isn't PETA up in arms about other aquariums. What's so different here? Maybe they feel that the fish will be disturbed by people dancing overhead. Even if they notice, I'm sure the only thing that will bother the sharks is the fact that the people are too far out of reach for dinner.
In a letter to Qua from PETA regarding the tank, a representative asked, "Will you please make the compassionate decision to move the sharks and rays to an environment where they can better express their natural behaviors?"
I think I just fainted. Did you hear the thump? My turn, "Oh crap!" News flash for PETA representative... Sharks and rays do not strive to express themselves. Maybe I misunderstood the statement, but it seems fairly clear.
Sounds as though PETA would like to enroll the sharks and rays in an art school and perhaps provide them with brushes and paints. Contrary to popular belief, sharks, and many other creatures -- including some people I know -- do not think. if sharks have a concern it is to continue swimming so they can breathe, and find food. And even that presumed concern is a manifestation of instinct.
I love sharks. Rays are cool. The beauty of these creatures cannot be denied. But as long as they are getting food and have enough room to swim around, I have no issues with a club like Qua having a really cool attraction like this. In my opinion, this aquarium brings the beauty of these creatures to people who may not otherwise appreciate it.
While researching for this piece, I read a comment on one web site stating that in captivity a shark's life span is a fraction of what it would be in the wild. Further research shows that in fact very little is known about the actual life span of sharks, so that statement cannot be taken as fact.
According to Seaworld.org, "As of yet, there is no accurate way to determine the age and life span of a shark."
Oh yeah, Sea world may be biased since they do profit from an attraction involving captive sea life, so let's look at a source more concerned with the wild habitat of the shark.
The National Parks Conservation Association® states, "Scientists often examine animal teeth to determine age, but this technique isn't possible with sharks because they go through so many teeth during their lives. This makes determining the age of a shark difficult, so the life span of sharks isn't known."
Well, our sources seem to be in agreement there. One more for good measure. My father always says, "measure twice, cut once." I'm going for three just to be on the safe side.
The shark FAQ at Sharkology.com says, "Some species may live for almost a century (the spiny dogfish), but the average life span is less than 25 years. Most of that we know about the life span of sharks comes from records of sharks in captivity or from tagging or recovery programs. These data show that the maximum age attained varies according to the species. The life span for most of the known species is very uncertain and should not be taken as absolute."
There you go, three for three. An absolute life span for most known species of shark cannot be determined. So the claim that a shark's life span in captivity is a fraction of its life span in the wild is not accurate.
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Cool off PETA. Go chase after the shmucks who are abusing animals and leave Qua alone! I'm going to make a point of stopping by this club for a beer the next time I'm in Texas, you can bet on that. Maybe they have Dogfish Head on tap, or Shark Attack Triple Red. :)
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