Dubai: A sand tiger shark at Dubai Aquarium is getting by with just one eye.
Wink, a four-year-old female sand tiger shark, has developed her own way of coping after she was born with a birth defect that meant one of her eyes did not develop properly.
The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo has more than 30 sand tiger sharks in its tank but Wink is the easiest one to spot, because she looks like she is flirting with you.
Paul Hamilton, curator, Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, said Wink has spent her entire life in captivity and has adapted ways of getting along in aquariums. Her future might not be so certain if she were in the wild.
"Perhaps if she were a wild shark she would encounter difficulties with her lack of vision on one side, however, Wink's future is safe with us as she is the top of the food chain here and will not encounter any creatures from the deep that may sneak up on her. She is easy to pick out if the public want to look for her in the aquarium. She is the sand tiger shark that looks like she is 'winking' at you with her right eye," he said.
At feeding times, Wink relies on her primary senses.
"She can effectively follow a scent and has a strong sense of movement and electricity in the water. When we hand-feed her she eats with, and in the exact same manner as, the other sharks.
"This is because sharks essentially close their eyes when feeding anyway as a means of protecting them from injury. Depending on the species, sharks either have a nictitating membrane - similar to an eye lid - or they roll their eyes back. Either way, in the final approach when feeding, the eyes are not used."
Wink is not often in the shark cave with the other sand tigers and is a bit of a loner. She occupies open spaces where she can scan the area with her left eye.
"This may indicate that she feels she is at a disadvantage in tight spaces."
Wink is the most diver- friendly sand tiger.
Since her arrival in Dubai she has gained 25 kilograms in weight.
