Domesticated Great White Shark Unveiled at Sea World

by Skip DeKades

February 19, 2029 — Scientists in California say they have created the world’s first domesticated great white shark, a fish so tame it even performs tricks.

A team of genetic engineers and marine biologists at the University of California Los Angeles introduced the 15-foot male shark, named Chompy, at a press conference yesterday at Sea World in San Diego.  The team created the creature by injecting the egg of a great white shark with DNA from a Labrador retriever.

Sea World trainers have been secretly working with Chompy for more than a year to prepare him to perform in shows at the ocean-themed amusement park. They first began teaching him to respond to basic commands in a large pool at the facility, then took him out to the ocean for more intensive training.

“We had a little trouble teaching him how to fetch,” said trainer Trina Fisch. “We’d throw out a stick, and he’d eagerly go out after it, but he kept coming back with a seal carcass or a surfer in his jaws.”

The trainers caution that while Chompy is tame, they continue to keep him away from the other performers at the park. His Labrador genes tend to make him overly exuberant at times, running the risk that he’ll accidentally take a bite out of a dolphin or orca during play time.  

Chompy, a domesticated great white shark, surfaces to get his belly rubbed.

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