Genie: The Silky Shark that Set a New World Record for Migration and Highlights the Need for Conservation

Silky sharks are a species at risk of overfishing due to their slow growth and late maturation, and they are frequently caught in the fishing industry. This makes them a top conservation priority for organizations like the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF). Recently, a silk shark named Genie set a new world record by migrating tens of thousands of kilometers over a period of 546 days. Initially discovered near Wolf Island in the northern Galapagos Marine Reserve in July 2021, researchers from CDF tracked Genie’s incredible journey.

Genie’s migration included two significant westward journeys covering 4,755 km from Wolf Island to international waters, breaking the previous travel record by nearly six times. The data collected from tracking Genie’s movements over 1.5 years has shown that these sharks travel long distances offshore, beyond current protected areas, highlighting the need for conservation efforts to protect their habitats.

Dr. Mahmood Shivji, a co-author of the study, describes these findings in the journal Fish Biology, emphasizing the importance of understanding the migration patterns of silky sharks to inform conservation measures and ensure the long-term survival of this vulnerable species. By tracking Genie’s journey and studying its movements, researchers hope to develop effective conservation strategies that can prevent population declines and protect this important species for future generations.