‘Inspiring’ shark dies after 28 years at Virginia aquarium. ‘A prominent ambassador’

A beloved sand tiger shark that lived at a Virginia aquarium for over 28 years has died, staff said.

Single Notch arrived at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in 1995 and is considered one of the original residents, the center said in a June 18 statement.

“For nearly three decades our animal care and veterinary staff have cared for Single Notch, and she has been a prominent ambassador for the Aquarium, inspiring our guests and staff daily,” the aquarium’s President and CEO Cynthia Whitbred-Spanoulis said in the release.

Staff said they rushed to help Single Notch when they found her unresponsive in her tank, but she didn’t respond to treatment and had to be euthanized.

The medical team conducted a necropsy and took tissue samples to help determine her cause of death.

Sand tiger sharks are considered critically endangered, according to the aquarium. They live in coastal waters and can grow from 6.5 to nearly 10.5 feet, but despite their size and teeth, they’re not typically a threat to humans, according to National Geographic.

They’re also known as gray nurse sharks.

Single Notch was one of two sand tiger sharks in her Norfolk Canyon exhibit, where she was a longtime resident, according to staff. Estimates on their lifespan vary from 35 to about 40 years, but Single Notch was considered geriatric, the marine center said.

The aquarium is in Virginia Beach, along the southeast coast of the state near the border of North Carolina.

This story was originally published June 18, 2024 at 6:00 PM with the headline "‘Inspiring’ shark dies after 28 years at Virginia aquarium. ‘A prominent ambassador’."