Large sharks — including great whites, whale sharks, and hammerheads — have historically shown poor survival in aquarium settings. This raises questions about when captivity is justifiable.
Species that cannot adapt to captivity suffer chronic stress, starvation, and physical injury. Maintaining species in captivity that clearly cannot thrive there is difficult to justify on welfare grounds regardless of conservation messaging. The decision to release declining white sharks by Monterey Bay Aquarium represents a model of welfare-first decision-making.