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!
A FIN-tastic Story
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.
JAW-some Birthday
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!”
Share This Story
About The Author
Ripley's Aquariums
As soon as you step into a Ripley’s Aquarium, with its whimsical and lively atmosphere, you know you…
By this author
Saving Sawfish: A Fight for Survival
Sea Dads: The Amazing Dads of the Deep Blue
Ink-tellectual Creatures: The Giant Pacific Octopus
At Ripley’s, we’re always in search of the unbelievable – maybe it’s you! Show us your talents. Tell us a strange story or a weird fact. Share your unbelievable art with us. Maybe even sell us something that could become a part of Ripley’s collection!
Get lost in a vortex of weird and wonderful stories! Ripley’s twenty-first edition annual book is full of all-new, all-true stories from around the world.
Invented in Germany around 1610, tinsel was originally a luxury decoration made from hammered silver!
Robert Ripley began the Believe It or Not! cartoon in 1918. Today, Kieran Castaño is the eighth artist to continue the legacy of illustrating the world's longest-running syndicated cartoon!