From Finding Nemo to Jaws, sharks have long been depicted as villains that stalk the seas. Yet, underneath the bad press lies an array of fascinating creatures waiting to be adored.
Come and join the fan club with me!
Are sharks just really big fish?
Fish are cold-blooded vertebrate animals equipped with gills and fins to live full-time in the water; sharks check all those boxes! However, while all sharks are fish, not all fish are sharks! That's because fish can have one of two types of skeletons: bony or cartilaginous. Sharks have a cartilaginous skeleton which helps them move more quickly through the water.
So, sharks are fish. Does that mean they lay eggs?
Yes!...sometimes. While some bottom-dwelling sharks lay eggs, most sharks produce live young, just like humans! Baby sharks are called pups and must fend for themselves once they're born.
Sharks usually look like the one depicted in Jaws, right?
The 1975 film shot the Great White into infamy with its grey-hulking body, dead-eyed stare, and razor-sharp teeth. While it makes for an intimidating villain, Great Whites make poor poster boys for sharks- simply because they can be so different! With over 400 species, sharks can appear as the bizarre hammerhead, 20 cm lantern shark, or filter-feeding whale shark.
Do sharks actually have to keep swimming to survive?
For many sharks, constant movement is a must for water to flow over the gills and extract oxygen. The keyword here is "many-" in a process called buccal-pumping, bottom-dwelling species are able to hold water in their cheeks and pass it over their gills, allowing them to rest on the ocean floor.
Are shark attacks common?
Humans are not on any shark's menu and the chances of being attacked and killed are one in 3.75 million. Falling coconuts, lightning strikes, and rabid dogs are more likely to kill you than a shark.
Are shark populations stable?
Sharks have a much better reason to fear us than we do to fear them. While sharks kill an average of 10 people per year, humans kill 100 million sharks annually. Overfishing, habitat loss, entanglement, and finning are the primary contributors to shark decline. Caring for our oceans and reframing how we look at these fascinating creatures will ensure that sharks of all types are around for many more years.
What do I do if I encounter a shark in the water?
So, you're lucky enough to encounter a shark in the water? How incredible! Your first instinct may be to panic- but remember that sharks don't intentionally hunt humans and may confuse your splashing for a natural prey item.
The best thing you can do is let the shark know you acknowledge its presence. Maintain eye contact. Keep your body in front of the shark as you slowly make your way back to shore. If it gets closer to you, redirect it by putting your hand on top of its head and pushing it away.
If the shark does attack (slim odds it does!) then you play offensive. A punch to the gills is sometimes enough to deter it. Swimming with other people, being aware of the area you're swimming in, and leaving shiny objects on the beach are all preventative measures to assure an attack doesn't happen in the first place.
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