Latest news with #SeaWorldSanDiego
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Seabird found covered in tar in San Diego released back into wild by SeaWorld
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — SeaWorld San Diego has announced a seabird was rehabilitated and successfully returned to the wild after it was found covered in tar and stranded at Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego. On Earth Day, SeaWorld San Diego announced they released a Pacific Loon back into the wild after a month-long rehabilitation. Sick sea lion rescued from busy road near Carlsbad beaches Pacific Loons are seabirds that spend most of their lives in coastal waters. SeaWorld San Diego's animal rescue team jumped in to save the bird after it was found at Torrey Pines State Beach covered in thick tar all over its stomach at the end of March. The tar had compromised its ability to stay warm and hindered its natural behavior, the care team said. Watch: Baby dolphin defies all odds, survives broken jaw after SeaWorld rescue SeaWorld's Oiled Wildlife Care Center (OWCC) worked to wash the tar off the Pacific Loon, which took several washes, then worked to stabilize the bird, making sure it was eating and hydrated and able to live in the pool full time. After a month with SeaWorld's Oiled Wildlife Care Center, she was ready to be released as she is now clean, eating, waterproof and able to live on the water once again, the care team said. PHOTOS: Rescued baby sea otter deemed non-releasable, now at SeaWorld San Diego The team said they waited to release her until they were confident she could live full time on the water as the aquatic birds spend nearly their entire lives on the water other than to breed. They even raise their young on their backs while in the water. Watch in the video above as SeaWorld San Diego released the seabird back into the water. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
12-03-2025
- Science
- USA Today
Largest shark that ever lived: Scientists unlock mystery about the megalodon
The monster shark, depicted in the 2018 sci-fi horror film 'The Meg,' dominated the ocean 3.5 million years ago. USA TODAY The biggest, most formidable shark to have ever roamed the ocean may have been even larger than previously thought, according to a new study. The research, published Sunday in the journal 'Palaeontologia Electronica,' suggests that the megalodon, which dominated the ocean 3.5 million years ago, was more than three times the size of a great white shark. The monster shark, depicted in the 2018 sci-fi horror film " The Meg," was previously believed to be between 50 and 65 feet long. But the new study, conducted by researchers in 28 countries, found the megalodon could have reached a whopping 80 feet in length, roughly the size of two school buses. The study helps confirm the hypothesis that the megalodon was not 'merely a gigantic version of the modern-day great white shark,' as previously thought, said Phillip Sternes, an educator at SeaWorld San Diego and a researcher on the project. Instead, the shark could have closer cousins today. It also sheds light on the mystery of how the fearsome carnivore may have gone extinct millions of years ago – and the role the smaller great white shark played. How big was Megalodon? Scientists have long struggled to determine the size of the megalodon because no complete fossil of the extinct animal has been found. Past studies have estimated the megalodon's length and body shape by comparing it to the great white shark, which has similar large, serrated teeth. But Sternes said those studies relied on assumptions about similarities between only the two shark species. The new study compared megalodon fossils with more than 150 living and extinct shark species. It found the megalodon may have had a longer, more slender body resembling that of the modern lemon shark, rather than the great white. It could have ranged between around 54 feet long and 80 feet long, the study suggests. And that longer length isn't just a fun fact about the fearsome creatures. It could also paint a clearer picture about the way megalodons moved through the water. Kenshu Shimada, a paleobiology professor at DePaul University in Chicago who led the study, said findings about the megalodon's maybe-slender body align with what scientists already know about other gigantic aquatic animals: Thinner bodies allow long animals to swim more efficiently. If the megalodon was a similar shape and size to the modern great white shark, that stocky body would 'not allow it to be an efficient swimmer,' to catch prey and survive, Shimada explained. So what killed the megalodon? Little is known about how and why megalodon went extinct around 3 million years ago. But the study says the great white shark could have had something to do with it. The fossil record and 'inferred growth patterns,' suggests that the rise of the great white shark, and the competition it brought, actually helped lead to the demise of the megalodon, the study states. Researchers are still investigating the megalodon's evolution, but Sternes told USA TODAY one possibility is that the predator's large body might not have been as adaptable as smaller shark species, even if it could swim freely. 'We've learned about how the planet fluctuates with different environmental factors, how life responds to it,' he said. 'Understanding the past can better inform us about both the present and the future for life on Earth.'
USA Today
10-03-2025
- Science
- USA Today
Largest shark that ever lived: Scientists unlock mystery about the megalodon
Largest shark that ever lived: Scientists unlock mystery about the megalodon The monster shark, depicted in the 2018 sci-fi horror film 'The Meg,' dominated the ocean 3.5 million years ago. Show Caption Hide Caption Kayaker paddles for his life as great white shark appears to stalk him A kayaker escaped unscathed after he spotted a great white shark while fishing for yellow kingfish. The shark followed him for eight minutes. The biggest, most formidable shark to have ever roamed the ocean may have been even larger than previously thought, according to a new study. The research, published Sunday in the journal 'Palaeontologia Electronica,' suggests that the megalodon, which dominated the ocean 3.5 million years ago, was more than three times the size of a great white shark. The monster shark, depicted in the 2018 sci-fi horror film "The Meg," was previously believed to be between 50 and 65 feet long. But the new study, conducted by researchers in 28 countries, found the megalodon could have reached a whopping 80 feet in length, roughly the size of two school buses. The study helps confirm the hypothesis that the megalodon was not 'merely a gigantic version of the modern-day great white shark,' as previously thought, said Phillip Sternes, an educator at SeaWorld San Diego and a researcher on the project. Instead, the shark could have closer cousins today. It also sheds light on the mystery around how the fearsome carnivore may have gone extinct millions of years ago – and the role the smaller great white shark played. How big was Megalodon? Scientists have long struggled to determine the size of the megalodon because no complete fossil of the extinct animal has been found. Past studies have estimated the megalodon's length and body shape by comparing it to the great white shark, which has similar large, serrated teeth. But Sternes said those studies relied on assumptions about similarities between only the two shark species. The new study compared megalodon fossils with more than 150 living and extinct shark species. It found the megalodon may have had a longer, more slender body resembling that of the modern lemon shark, rather than the great white. It could have ranged between around 54 feet long and 80 feet long, the study suggests. And that longer length isn't just a fun fact about the fearsome creatures. It could also paint a clearer picture about the way megalodons moved through the water. Kenshu Shimada, a paleobiology professor at DePaul University in Chicago who led the study, said findings about the megalodon's maybe-slender body align with what scientists already know about other gigantic aquatic animals: Thinner bodies allow long animals to swim more efficiently. If the megalodon was a similar shape and size to the modern great white shark, that stocky body would 'not allow it to be an efficient swimmer,' to catch prey and survive, Shimada explained. So what killed the megalodon? Little is known about how and why megalodon went extinct around 3 million years ago. But the study says the great white shark could have had something to do with it. The fossil record and 'inferred growth patterns,' suggests that the rise of the great white shark, and the competition it brought, actually helped lead to the demise of the megalodon, the study states. Researchers are still investigating the megalodon's evolution, but Sternes told USA TODAY one possibility is that the predator's large body might not have been as adaptable as smaller shark species, even if it could swim freely. 'We've learned about how the planet fluctuates with different environmental factors, how life responds to it,' he said. 'Understanding the past can better inform us about both the present and the future for life on Earth.'
