When it comes to famous Atlanta residents, there might be none quite as uniquely famous as Yushan, the Georgia Aquarium’s magnificent whale shark.
After the devastating loss of the Georgia Aquarium’s other whale shark, Taroko, last August, Yushan is now the sole whale shark in captivity in the Western Hemisphere. And keep him happy and healthy is no easy task!
That’s why the Georgia Aquarium has such an impressive and dedicated team taking care of Yushan. Yushan has a team of 14 who work directly to support him at the Georgia Aquarium, including aquarist Mya Robinson, who begin working on Yushan’s team in 2021.
We asked Robinson some of your burning questions. So keep scrolling to take a deep dive into Yushan’s life at the Georgia Aquarium!
How do you feed a whale shark?
You might be wondering… how on earth do you feed such a massive creature? And how many times a day does he eat? Well, Robinson’s got all the answers your searching for.
Robinson says,
Yushan is very special to us, and he gets a lot of our attention! He gets multiple feeds a day and each feed is a little different. He gets 3 boat feeds, a dive feed, and a ‘walk’ feed (where we walk alongside the exhibit and feed) each day.
And if you’re thinking “oh, that’s not too bad”… well, it’s a bit more of a balancing act than you’d think.
Robinson continues,
Feeding Yushan is a bit like rubbing your belly and patting you head at the same time. It requires you to use your brain and body in ways you wouldn’t normally. For example, during his boat feeds, you pull yourself along a rope in an inflatable raft with one hand while using a feeding pole (ladle) with the other hand!
The Best Part of the Job
We asked Robinson: What’s your favorite part of the job?
Due to the extraordinary nature of our jobs, it keeps life interesting! Every day is different and it keeps me active, on my feet, or in the water which is probably my favorite part of the job.
We can imagine swimming with Yushan is pretty magical. And did you know that you don’t need to be on his care team to do it? At the Georgia Aquarium they offer ‘Journey with Gentle Giants’ diving experiences, which you can check out, here!
But the Georgia Aquarium is home to more than just the whale shark!
While we all adore Yushan and love seeing him swimming in his massive Ocean Voyager tank, we’re also excited to learn all about the other species at the Georgia Aquarium. Home to thousands of animals across a super diverse array of species, there’s always something new to see & someone new to meet at the GA Aquarium!
Robinson says,
I encourage people to learn more about the species we have at Georgia Aquarium, because just like Yushan, there are many endangered species that need the public’s attention. Atlanta is a wonderful place to visit, and I am grateful we have one of the largest aquariums in the world at our fingertips!
Thanks for all your hard work, Mya! See ya at the aquarium!