Rare shark pups live to tell tale

A GREAT Barrier Reef resort has doubled as the maternity wing for rare shark pups.

Bonnie, a blacktip reef shark and one of the attractions at the Daydream Island Resort and Spa's lagoon, has given birth to three pups.

The pups, each measuring 59cm long, have become the first known blacktip reef sharks ever to be seen born in an open air aquarium.

The blacktip reef shark is listed as near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and witnessing their birth is very rare.

"This was a very exciting day for us," Living Reef manager Brett Jeffries said of the birth, which occurred on January 14, but was only revealed publicly on Friday.

"We've held a 24-hour watch on Bonnie for the last six months and have taken every precaution possible to ensure their survival."

The pups had to be removed from Bonnie within minutes to prevent her from turning on them and eating them, he said.

The blacktip reef shark is viviparous, meaning their embryos develop inside the mother's body who then gives birth to live pups.

Mr Jeffries leads a team of four marine biologists on the island and hopes to learn from the birth.

"To be able to contribute to research which could lead to the long-term survival of the species is a great honour, while giving our guests a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness mother nature in all her glory," Mr Jeffries said.

The resort, in north Queensland's Whitsundays, has one of the world's largest man-made living coral reef lagoons and is home to more than 80 species of marine fish and 50 coral species native to the Great Barrier Reef.

The resort is running a competition to name the shark pups.