The beginning of the adventure

Seven zebra shark eggs arrived in Sorong, Indonesia, on 10 August 2022 and are now being hand-reared in local nurseries for future release into protected marine waters in Raja Ampat, as part of the global effort to safeguard the species. The zebra shark eggs arrived from Sea Life Sydney Aquarium in Australia – one of just four zoological facilities in the world officially invited to serve as a breeder for this conservation project.

This initiative is coordinated by ReShark, an international conservation association made up of more than 60 academic institutions, zoos, aquariums, non-profit organizations and government agencies dedicated to the recovery of sharks and rays species around the world, in collaboration with the Indonesian government contributed to the success of the creation of sanctuaries for sharks and rays, which will protect these species when they are released.

Affectionately called the StAR project, after the scientific name for the zebra shark. -  Stegostoma tigrinum Augmentation and Recovery - this group of entities (Indonesian Government, various institutes, NGOs…) with the support of several partners, including Tropical Marine Centre, is a joint effort to protect the future of this vulnerable species.

The local community in Raja Ampat (trained at the Jakarta Aquarium and Safari to learn shark handling, husbandry, and care techniques) has built specially designed nurseries for the care and well-being of shark eggs and hatchlings. Sophisticated life support systems use surrounding seawater to fill habitats for eggs and juvenile sharks.

The sharks will continue to develop in hatcheries until they reach at least 70 cm and 1 kg and demonstrate the ability to search for food independently. Specialists will then assess their health, tag them for ongoing monitoring and release them to sanctuaries.

Please see here all these amazing photos and next week don't miss the video of this project. Follow everything on our social media…