# Resting Rosie (DD-709)

> Rosie is a preserved great white shark, about 5 m long, now on show at Crystal World Exhibition Centre in Devon Meadows, Victoria, Australia. She was caught in tuna nets off South Australia in 1997 or 1998 (sources differ) and couldn't be freed. She was then preserved whole in formaldehyde at Wildlife Wonderland, a park in Bass, Victoria. When that park closed in 2012, she was left behind in a shed. Late in 2018, urban explorer Luke McPherson's video of her went viral. Trespassers followed and damaged the tank, which let toxic formaldehyde escape. Crystal World's owner, Tom Kapitany, took her on, and she was craned out and moved on February 21, 2019. Her formaldehyde has since been replaced with glycerol.

- Department: Nature (also Locations)
- First published: 2026-03-28
- Last updated: 2026-03-28
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/resting-rosie/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **1997**: Rosie the great white is caught in tuna nets off South Australia (some sources say 1998)
- **2012**: Wildlife Wonderland closes, leaving Rosie in her tank
- **2018**: An urban explorer's video of Rosie goes viral
- **Feb. 21, 2019**: Rosie is craned out and moved to Crystal World, Devon Meadows

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=resting-rosie

## Quick facts

- **DD-709-F01**: Rosie was moved to Crystal World on February 21, 2019. _(Write-up · Exhibit E (A new home))_
- **DD-709-F02**: Her formaldehyde was replaced with glycerol, a safer preservative. _(Write-up · Exhibit E (A new home))_

## Write-up

A great white kept in a tank for 20 years. Rosie was rescued from an abandoned wildlife park in 2019.

1. **Caught in a tuna net**: Rosie got tangled in a tuna fishing family's nets off South Australia and couldn't be freed safely. Crystal World and Newsweek date this to 1997, and Crystal World's shop page says 1998.
2. **A tank at Wildlife Wonderland**: Wildlife Wonderland in Bass, Victoria, acquired her and displayed her in a custom tank of formaldehyde. Because she wasn't gutted, as most specimens are, her body stayed solid and in near-perfect condition.
3. **Left behind**: The park closed in 2012, and Rosie stayed in her tank in a dark shed as the site fell into disrepair.
4. **Gone viral**: Late in 2018, urban explorer Luke McPherson posted a video of her that drew millions of views. Trespassers followed. Some broke into the tank, letting formaldehyde fumes escape, and the landowner considered destroying her.
5. **A new home**: Tom Kapitany of Crystal World took her on. The chemicals were pumped out and she was craned out through the shed roof, arriving at Devon Meadows on February 21, 2019. She is now kept in glycerol, a safer preservative.

## Related case files

- [Whale Milk (DD-729)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/whale-milk/): Another ocean-giant case
- [Nature's Reclamation (DD-066)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/natures-reclamation/): Another case about places left to decay
- [Serving Great White (DD-189)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/serving-great-white/): I linked more about sharks
- [Shark Senescence (DD-701)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/shark-senescence/): Another shark case

## Reel vs. record

- **Wrong venue**: it was Wildlife Wonderland in Bass, Victoria, that closed in 2012 and where Rosie was found. She only moved to Crystal World Exhibition Centre in 2019.
- **Date**: sources disagree on 1997 or 1998 for her capture. Crystal World's main page and Newsweek say 1997.
- **Missing context**: she wasn't 'largely unnoticed' at first. She was a public attraction at Wildlife Wonderland until the park closed in 2012.
- **Missing aftermath**: the viral 2018 video brought trespassers who damaged her tank and let toxic formaldehyde fumes escape (Nine News, Newsweek).
- **Out of date**: she's no longer kept in formaldehyde. Crystal World replaced it with glycerol after the 2019 rescue.

## Video: Resting Rosie: A Great White Kept in a Tank for 20 Years

- Duration: 18.7 s · Published: 2026-03-28
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DWcfmODEeFT.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? "Rosie" the Shark is the nickname given to a remarkably well-preserved great white shark specimen displayed at Crystal World Exhibition Centre. The shark was caught in 1998 and preserved in a large tank of formaldehyde solution, where it remained largely unnoticed for years. After the exhibition center closed, urban explorers rediscovered Rosie in 2018. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: Where was Rosie displayed before the 2012 closure?**  
A: Wildlife Wonderland in Bass, Victoria. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (A tank at Wildlife Wonderland) · Crystal World: Rosie The Shark, A Tale of Survival and Preservation; Crystal World Exhibition Centre and Sales: Rosie the Shark)_

**Q: What species is Rosie?**  
A: A great white, about 5 m long. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Caught in a tuna net) · Crystal World: Rosie The Shark, A Tale of Survival and Preservation; Crystal World Exhibition Centre and Sales: Rosie the Shark; Newsweek: The Story of the Great White Shark Discovered at an Abandoned Zoo)_

**Q: How was Rosie caught?**  
A: She got tangled in tuna nets off South Australia. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Caught in a tuna net) · Crystal World: Rosie The Shark, A Tale of Survival and Preservation; Crystal World Exhibition Centre and Sales: Rosie the Shark; Newsweek: The Story of the Great White Shark Discovered at an Abandoned Zoo)_

**Q: What preservative replaced her formaldehyde?**  
A: Glycerol (glycerin), a safer preservative. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (A new home) · Crystal World Exhibition Centre and Sales: Rosie the Shark; Crystal World: Rosie The Shark, A Tale of Survival and Preservation; Newsweek: The Story of the Great White Shark Discovered at an Abandoned Zoo)_

**Q: In what year was she moved to Crystal World?**  
A: She arrived on February 21, 2019. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (A new home) · Crystal World Exhibition Centre and Sales: Rosie the Shark; Crystal World: Rosie The Shark, A Tale of Survival and Preservation; Newsweek: The Story of the Great White Shark Discovered at an Abandoned Zoo)_

## Sources

- [Crystal World: Rosie The Shark, A Tale of Survival and Preservation](https://www.crystalworld.com.au/rosie-the-shark/)
- [Crystal World Exhibition Centre and Sales: Rosie the Shark](https://www.crystalworldsales.com/pages/rosie-the-shark)
- [Nine News (Feb 18, 2019): Battle to save preserved great white at abandoned Gippsland wildlife park](https://www.nine.com.au/australia-news/news-melbourne-abandoned-wildlife-park-gippsland-20190218-p5wwdl.html)
- [Newsweek: The Story of the Great White Shark Discovered at an Abandoned Zoo](https://www.newsweek.com/story-great-white-shark-discovered-abandoned-zoo-australia-1728741)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Resting Rosie." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-709, last updated Mar 28, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/resting-rosie/