Cartilaginous Comrades

Genie had expected that her first task would be identifying and studying the local fish, however, before long the focus turned to sharks. A special pen was built alongside the dock where Genie could observe and study the sharks’ behavior. Then she began something previously unheard of - training sharks.

Training Sharks

Using food as a reward, the sharks were taught to touch their noses to a target under the water, eventually progressing to distinguishing between targets of different shapes and colors. This research demonstrated that sharks have sophisticated learning behaviors and are far from the “mindless killing machines” that most people believed them to be. This technique of training sharks is still used today at aquariums and marine laboratories around the world.

"Sleeping" Sharks

By traveling to new places and studying sharks in their natural environment, Genie was able to disprove another myth: that sharks don’t slumber. Because sharks breathe by having water moving over their gills, it was believed that they need to be constantly moving. Observing sharks off the coast of Mexico, however, Genie learned that the water in the underwater caves - which was high in oxygen and low in salinity - was enough for the sharks to keep breathing while they rested. Although the sharks were not actually asleep, they would be in a lull or stupor, sometimes for hours at a time.