Aquarium Director Jon Forrest Dohlin says Bertha "was a great animal and a symbol for the plight of all sharks in the wild." He also remembers her as "a beloved resident of Coney Island."
The facility, which is run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, says Bertha may have been the longest living sand tiger shark in an aquarium. It says the average lifespan of the species is not actually known.
Bertha was about 7 feet long and 270 pounds. She was brought to the New York Aquarium in 1965 by a local fisherman.
