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Wednesday, May 22, 2013 | 10:47 a.m.

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Whale shark feeding at the Georgia Aquarium

 

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  • The Georgia Aquarium is full of all sorts of sharks.
  • But none are bigger than the whale shark.
  • And Nelson's News on wsbtv.com spent the day preparing food for the whale sharks and then, feeding them.
  • That's krill, a big part of the whale sharks' diet.
  • Cut up some squid...
  • mix it together...
  • and you've got the base for what a whale shark eats twice a day.
  • The Georgia Aquarium features four whale sharks. It's also the only place in the western hemisphere you can see whale sharks in an aquarium.
  • Whale sharks at the aquarium eat twice a day, at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Guests can view the feedings and hear a narrator explain the process.
  • Food prep for the aquarium's tens of thousands of creatures begins each morning at 6:30 a.m. The whale sharks' diet consists of krill, squid, silver side fish, gelatin, vitamins and minerals. The four whale sharks at the aquarium get about 27 pounds of food at each feeding. They'll consume nearly 20,000 pounds of food each during a year.
  • And once food prep is wrapped up, it's time to head to the Ocean Voyager tank to feed them.
  • The whale sharks have been trained to eat at certain times, so most days the fish head to the top of the tank ready to eat. Four staff members board four different small boats atop the Ocean Voyager tank and tie onto four separate lines that nearly span the top of the tank. The staff pull the boats from one side of the tank to the other while feeding the whale sharks with four different colored ladles. The whale sharks have been trained to know which particular line they feed from and what color food ladle they should be eating from.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Here are some more photos from the preparation of food and feeding to the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium.
  • Head over to <a href=Nelson's News to see photos and videos from concerts, nightlife, attractions and other events happening around town." title="Nelson's News on wsbtv.com" class="cmGalleryThumbImage" />
 

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