Taroko, a whale shark that arrived at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta in 2007, has died, according to a post on the aquarium’s Instagram account.

“Our team noticed changes in his appetite and behavior through wellness monitoring, and his overall condition was deteriorating despite all veterinary and care interventions. Last night, we made the humane decision to euthanize,” the post said.

Taroko, who was rescued from a seafood market in Taiwan, “showed more than 43 million people the majesty of his species over the nearly two decades he lived here. He also contributed a wealth of data and information about whale shark biology, health and behavior,” according to the post.

The whale shark made his Georgia Aquarium debut on June 1, 2007, as part of the Ocean Diver exhibit.

The name Taroko

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