Georgia Aquarium mourns the passing of whale shark Alice — ‘a larger-than-life ambassador’

The Georgia Aquarium is mourning the death of female whale shark Alice, who died Sunday.

The aquarium posted a message on Instagram Monday afternoon about the death of Alice, who had been the aquarium’s longest resident among the whale sharks.

“We are heartbroken to share that our female whale shark, Alice, has passed away,” the Georgia Aquarium posted. “Through routine monitoring and preventative healthcare, our teams noticed changes in her behavior and bloodwork.

“(Sunday), her condition worsened and despite our teams’ extraordinary efforts, she did not improve, and the only humane option was to euthanize her.”

The aquarium posted that Alice was surrounded by the dedicated team that cared for her, “many of whom cared for her since she arrived in 2006.”

Alice came to the Georgia Aquarium 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,” the Georgia Aquarium posted. “It was a tremendous honor to be the steward of Alice’s care and for that we will be forever grateful to her.”

Photo: Georgia Aquarium