Cocktails & Fishtales - Life in the Sixgill Shark Capitol of the World with Malik Johnson скачать в хорошем качестве

Cocktails & Fishtales - Life in the Sixgill Shark Capitol of the World with Malik Johnson

Life at the Six Gill Shark Capital of the World with Malik Johnson, Lead Aquarist at the MaST Center Did you know that there are large, elusive, prehistoric sharks that live in our own backyards here in the Salish Sea? Bluntnose six gill sharks (Hexanchus griseus) grow to lengths upwards of 16 feet and are the largest sharks in the Puget Sound. These deep-sea predators are found in waters around the world at staggering depths from 6,000 to beyond 8,000ft. Despite calling dark deep waters home, these sharks are regularly documented by local SCUBA divers, researchers, and fisher folk at depths as shallow as 60-100ft. This makes Washington State one of the few places in the world where people can regularly observe six gill sharks. In the late summer months at Redondo Beach in Des Moines Washington, you are bound to find at least one pair of divers heading out into dark inky waters on a night dive in hopes of catching a glimpse of these large cryptic creatures. Six gill shark sightings are so common at Redondo Beach dive site that in 2025 the city of Des Moines was titled, the Six Gill Shark Capital of the World. This year, legislatures are advocating for the Bluntnose six gill shark to be named the state shark of Washington. Join Malik Johnson, Lead Aquarist at the MaST Center Aquarium, in a conversation about six gill sharks and how you can support efforts to preserve and protect this important species for future generations to come. Malik is a devoted science educator, SCUBA diver, and animal care professional with a range of experiences, from working with hammerhead sharks at Point Defiance to giant pacific octopus at Seattle Aquarium and now as the Lead Aquarist for the MaST Center Aquarium at Highline College. As Lead Aquarist, Malik manages all aspects of animal care at the MaST Center, such as maintenance to the habitats and life support systems.