R.I.P.
Jumping the Shark -- The Deadly Flight Pattern

This pic should give you a better idea how a shark managed to jump from her tank and onto a waterslide in The Bahamas earlier this week.



FYI -- the slide goes through the shark area (the open air slide becomes an enclosed tube) and lets out in a small pool down below.

The female reef shark somehow cleared the 18-inch wide and 1-foot high barrier around the bottom of the Mayan Temple's Leap of Faith slide -- then slid down the rest of the slide and into an empty pool. It died from complications from the pool's chlorinated water.

The shark was at least 12 years old.

Reader Comments

(Page 2 of 2) Previous 15 Comments

16. Yeah, I was kidding, Dan. You are a jerk.

Posted at 12:18PM on Dec 18th 2008 by Jack

17. I live in So Cal and there's no way you'll ever catch me at Sea World. Putting such creatures on display for man's amusement is just plain cruel.

Posted at 12:33PM on Dec 18th 2008 by kaykay

18. I've been to this resort. The underwater habitats are huge and very eco friendly. Also, as an avid scuba diver of 30+ years I have swum with this type of shark many times. I have never seen one breech. The only sharks that I am aware of that habitually breech are Great Whites. Perhaps you saw 'Air Jaws' on Sharkweek?

Posted at 4:15PM on Dec 18th 2008 by scooter

19. Is there any chance that someone did this intentionally to the shark (put it in the pool?) I would imagine they would have ruled that out with video survelance....but if it was that easy for a shark to jump that, it seems they would have put up a bigger barrier....it could have been bad is kids were swimming in the pool at that time...

RIP Ms. Reef Shark :(

Posted at 8:01PM on Dec 18th 2008 by Alia

20. geez, take a flippin chill-pill DAN !!!

You sound like it's your time of the month Mr. Negative !! lol :)-

Posted at 8:01PM on Dec 18th 2008 by Alia

21. 1) Animals have feelings and rights, to a degree. I'm not arguing that. However, keeping them in a controlled environment only prolongs and enhances their life. They are no longer subject to the blunt dangers of sea life and they are fed and cared for consistently by specialists. So no, they are not sick puppets on show for us "fat Americans." Rather they are given the best care possible by our tourist dollars.

2) Our "fat American" tourist dollars support the economy of places like the Bahamas. So before you chastise "hell hole resorts" take a look at where these places would be without our money.

3) Do you honestly think they would go through the trouble of finding exotic animals and then plop them in water that would kill them? If for no other reason than solid, factual economics you must see that they would do nothing but what is best for prolonging the health and life of the animal. They make an environment where the animal can prosper. So why should the areas designated for humans adapt to the conditions for animals? They aren't meant to intertwine... this was a freak accident, just like a car crash.

4) Would a shark show a human mercy? No.

Posted at 6:46PM on Dec 25th 2008 by Alfie Banks

22. That's crazy, goes to show how things happen, when you don't even expect it, Glad no one was in the water!!!

Posted at 9:37PM on Dec 18th 2008 by Lu-Lu

23. actually dan even though Atlantis is in tha Bahamas Bahamians rarely stay there so #5 assumption that they are "abusing animals for the entertainment of fat, spoiled Americans" would be correct because it is a TOURIST resort

Posted at 6:08AM on Dec 19th 2008 by tha truth

24. I am an animal lover, they are delicious!

Posted at 1:32PM on Jan 13th 2009 by txcowboy

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