- The shark, nicknamed ‘Genie’, was first spotted near Wolf Island
- Researchers continued their epic journey, which spanned 546 days.
Move over, Michael Phelps: There’s a new record-breaking swimmer in town.
A silky shark has broken the world record after swimming a staggering 17,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean.
The shark, nicknamed ‘Genio’, was first spotted near Wolf Island, north of the Galapagos Marine Reserve, in July 2021.
Researchers from the Charles Darwin Foundation then continued their epic journey, which lasted 546 days.
“Understanding the migratory routes of silky sharks and other threatened pelagic sharks is crucial to developing effective management strategies to reverse the current global population decline,” said Dr. Pelayo Salinas de León, lead author of the study.
Move over, Michael Phelps: There’s a new record-breaking swimmer in town. A silky shark has broken the world record after swimming a staggering 17,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean.
The shark, nicknamed ‘Genius’, was first spotted near Wolf Island, north of the Galapagos Marine Reserve, in July 2021. Researchers from the Charles Darwin Foundation then followed its epic journey, which lasted 546 days .
Genie was tagged by scientists before embarking on its journey, which covered more than 17,000 miles (27,666 km) over 546 days.
To put it in perspective, that’s equivalent to crossing the US from coast to coast about four times!
Their journey included two major westward migrations, halfway to Hawaii, extending up to 4,755 kilometers (2,900 mi) from Wolf Island to international waters.
According to researchers, the trip exceeds the previous movement record almost six times.
Dr Salinas de León said: “Sharks have been roaming the world’s oceans for hundreds of millions of years and the cartographic boundaries we humans have set on paper mean nothing to them.
Genie was tagged by scientists before embarking on its journey, which covered more than 17,000 miles (27,666 km) over 546 days.
“Their long migrations through heavily fished international waters expose them to significant risks, highlighting the need for a coordinated global response to ensure the survival of this group of highly threatened species.”
Silky sharks are currently classified as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and are particularly vulnerable to overfishing thanks to their slow growth and late maturity.
Researchers hope Genie’s voyage will highlight the need for international cooperation to protect silky sharks.
“Obtaining shark tracks with good location resolution for more than a year is difficult at best,” said Dr. Mahmood Shivji, co-author of the study.
“In this case, we were able to follow Genie for a year and a half, revealing repeated and unexpectedly consistent travel routes of enormous distances that extend far offshore, far beyond current national management and marine protected areas.
“This finding is a call to action for all stakeholders involved in marine conservation and fisheries management to work together to protect these iconic species and the ocean ecosystems they inhabit.”