News

Hendersonville’s celebrity stingray has died

The pregnant stingray Charlotte in February swims in her tank at the Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team Ecco.

By Amy McCraw, Published: July 2, 2024

Hendersonville’s celebrity stingray, Charlotte, has died, according to a statement this week from the Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO.

“We are sad to announce, after continuing treatment with her medical care team and specialist, our ray Charlotte passed away today,” according to the statement posted to the aquarium’s Facebook page on Sunday. “We are continuing to work with her medical care team and research specialist. The Team ECCO family appreciates your continued love and support while we navigate this great loss.”
The aquarium will remain closed while its staff continues to care for its remaining fish and other animals, according to the statement.
An attempt to reach aquarium founder Brenda “B.J.” Ramer by telephone on Monday evening was unsuccessful.
The aquarium announced in June that Charlotte was no longer pregnant after they learned that she was suffering from a reproductive disease.
Ramer at the time described Charlotte as family and said the sad news about her pregnancy and reproductive disease was difficult.
From the time the aquarium on Main Street announced in February that Charlotte became pregnant without the benefit of a male stingray, likely through a process called parthenogenesis, marine scientists, schoolchildren and fans around the world anxiously waited for Charlotte to give birth.
She was the focus of numerous articles and television news broadcasts and even late-night television comedy sketches.
Scientists from across the country and around the world also wanted to see Charlotte’s pups for themselves to learn more about how she became pregnant.
But in late May the aquarium released a statement on its Facebook page announcing that Charlotte was suffering from a rare reproductive disease. The aquarium closed on June 1 to care for Charlotte and consult with her medical team. On June 5, the aquarium announced that Charlotte was no longer pregnant.