Just in time for his second birthday, our history-making sand tiger shark, Rip, can now be seen in the Dangerous Reef in Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach!
In March 2022, Ripley’s Aquariums made history with the birth of Rip, the first successful birth by artificial insemination of a sand tiger shark. Rip’s journey started back in May 2021, when a female sand tiger at Ripley’s Marine Science Research Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was artificially inseminated. Sand tiger sharks have a gestation period of eight to 12 months, and she soon began to show signs of pregnancy.
Ripley’s Veterinary and Husbandry Teams kept a vigilant, 24-hour watch on her until Rip was born on March 24, 2022.
After two years of close monitoring, our veterinarians and research team determined that Rip is now ready to swim with the big sharks!
"It was time to move him over because he was big enough to set his own territory and do well with other sharks," said Dr. Bob George, Ripley's chief veterinarian. "And also make room for hopefully, the next generation to come."
If you want to catch a glimpse of him in the Dangerous Reef , look for the small, toothy shark that is about three and a half feet long and say “Shell-o!”
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