ATLANTA — Georgia Aquarium's longest-tenured whale shark is dead after 15 years at the facility.
A statement in a Monday Facebook post form the Georgia Aquarium said Alice the female whale shark has died.
"We are heartbroken to share that our female whale shark, Alice, has passed away," the statement reads.
Teams at the aquarium noticed changes in Alice's behavior and bloodwork while doing routine monitoring, according to the post.
Despite staff efforts, Alice's condition worsened. That's why teams at the aquarium said they decided to euthanize her. The aquarium did not specify whether the whale shark was suffering from a particular condition.
"She was surrounded by the incredibly dedicated team that cared for her every day," the post reads.
The aquarium said Alice arrived there in 2006 as a rescue from Taiwan. They say she was the longest whale shark resident.
"It was a tremendous honor to be the steward of Alice’s care and for that we will be forever grateful to her," the post says.
Here's the full statement in the post from Georgia Aquarium:
"We are heartbroken to share that our female whale shark, Alice, has passed away. Through routine monitoring and preventative healthcare, our teams noticed changes in her behavior and bloodwork. Yesterday, her condition worsened and despite our teams’ extraordinary efforts, she did not improve, and the only humane option was to euthanize her. She was surrounded by the incredibly dedicated team that cared for her every day, many of whom cared for her since she arrived in 2006. Alice came to us as a rescue from Taiwan, where she was destined for the seafood market. She was our longest whale shark resident and contributed valuable information to the understanding of whale sharks, but most importantly, she was a larger-than-life ambassador for her species wowing guests from all corners of the globe. It was a tremendous honor to be the steward of Alice’s care and for that we will be forever grateful to her."