Two of the South Carolina Aquarium's signature species have not had a Valentine's Day date since the facility's opening in 2000 and are both living in an all male population. What gives?
"They are forever bachelors," said aquarium veterinarian Dr. Shane Boylan. "The all-male make-up of both the otters' and the sand tiger sharks' (exhibit) is no accident, and prevents breeding."
Female otters rarely tolerate other females, and are prone to attack their male mates. They are also extremely protective of their pups until they are weaned from their mother.
On the other hand, male otters do extremely well together, co-existing nicely according to animal behaviorist Kelly Reno.
"We have two happy guys, who aren't holding out for a gift from some sweetheart this year," joked Reno. "I think they would like to boycott this Hallmark holiday all together."
For the sharks, an all-male sand tiger population protects the collection. When ready to reproduce, a male sand tiger shark bites the female in preparation for mating, a relatively rough process.
"For the safety of the collection, an all-male population prevents any romantic activity," said senior dive safety officer Arnold Postell. "We have worked hard to display an all-male collection, by trading our female animals with fellow Association of Zoos and Aquarium members. We swapped animals, moving our females out and males in."
While neither the sharks nor otters will have a date this Valentine's Day, interested parties can still show them some love through the aquarium's Adopt-an-Animal program.
"They may be bachelors, but the sharks and river otters are two of our most popular choices for adopted animals," said Michelle Adams, membership manager.
You can check out the river otters and sharks enjoying their single life during the aquarium's daily shows, including the 10 a.m. Breakfast with River Otters and the 3 p.m. interactive dive show. Throughout February, South Carolina residents pay a flat-rate $10 admission during the aquarium's Sea and Save promotion. For more information, visit scaquarium.org or call (843) 577-FISH (3474).
