Monterey displays great white shark captured off Marina del Rey

A great white shark recently captured near Marina Del Rey is now on display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, officials said Thursday.

The young male shark, about 4 feet, 7 inches long and weighing just over 43 pounds, was caught Aug. 18 and kept for observation in a holding pen off Malibu for a couple of weeks before being transferred Wednesday to Monterey, aquarium officials said in a statement.

The shark -- the sixth of its kind to be exhibited at the aquarium, will be displayed at the Open Sea exhibit for the next several months.

The exhibit is seen “as a way to change public attitudes and promote stronger protection for this magnificent and much-maligned ocean predator,” officials said.

The other five sharks previously displayed were all returned to the wild. 

Research shows such sharks are in decline worldwide. While the ocean predators are protected in U.S. coastal waters and in several other countries, “their fearsome reputation has made them a target of trophy hunters and the curio trade,” officials said.

Monterey Bay Aquarium is the only institution in the world to exhibit a great white shark for more than 16 days, and the five sharks previously exhibited had been seen by more than 2 million people, according to officials.

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-- Ann M. Simmons

Photo: The captured young male shark is now on display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Credit: Monterey Bay Aquarium