The remarkable journey of a ragged tooth shark has ended where it began. The shark was set free into the open ocean near Cape Agulhas and will now become the subject of scientific study.

The 2.7m ragged tooth has been the prize exhibit in Cape Town's Two Oceans Aquarium for the past eight years. It has reportedly been seen by more than three million visitors.

Its first contact with humans started when it was captured and tagged in the shark nets on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal. It had migrated more than 1 000km in three months to Struis Bay, where it was hooked on a fishing competition and donated to the aquarium.

The shark's release was a major operation. It was sedated and kept in a holding tank, and then it was transported 200km in an aerated tank.

The shark's movements will be tracked by satellite tags. The information from the tags will be captured through the Argos system in France and the US and relayed to South Africa by computer. School children and scientists will follow its progress, creating a greater awareness for shark conservation.

The scientists are holding thumbs that this special shark will not land up on the hook of long-line fishermen, as is the case with 100 million other sharks in the oceans of the world each year.