Charlotte, the stingray that captured hearts worldwide after a miraculous pregnancy at a North Carolina aquarium, has passed away. The Aquarium and Shark Lab in Hendersonville shared the sad news on Facebook, revealing that Charlotte died on Sunday due to a rare reproductive disease.
“We are sad to announce, after continuing treatment with her medical care team and specialist, our ray Charlotte passed away today,” the aquarium wrote. They also expressed gratitude to their followers for their “love and support.”
Charlotte made headlines in February when the aquarium announced her surprising pregnancy. Remarkably, Charlotte had not shared a tank with a male stingray for the past eight years. The aquarium speculated that she had become pregnant through parthenogenesis, a form of asexual reproduction where eggs develop without fertilization, resulting in a clone of the mother.
The news of Charlotte’s pregnancy quickly went viral. She became a topic of conversation on late-night shows, including segments by Jimmy Kimmel and “Saturday Night Live.”
In May, the aquarium informed the public about Charlotte’s illness. They mentioned ongoing efforts to understand the disease, noting the lack of studies on round rays, even though similar studies exist for southern rays.
Early in June, the aquarium shared that Charlotte was no longer pregnant. As a result, the facility temporarily closed on June 1.
Following Charlotte's passing, the aquarium closed its doors on Monday and Tuesday to mourn the loss.
