Unfortunately, mainly due to human activity, many species of shark are considered endangered. This is partly due to things like overfishing or habitat destruction, but fear also plays a large role in the ongoing hunting of sharks that is causing their numbers to dwindle. Through popular culture, we have been programmed to view sharks as vicious, bloodthirsty killers, always looking for a next victim, but this is very far from the truth. So in honor of the ASLC’S screening of Steven Spielberg’s classic, Jaws, on April 8th, why don’t I share a few facts about sharks with you, to try and ease your fear and show you how wonderous and important these oceanic residents are.

• Some species of sharks have a spiracle that allows them to pull water into their respiratory system while at rest. Most sharks have to keep swimming to pump water over their gills. (NOAA Fisheries, 2018)
• Based on fossil scales found in Australia and the United States, scientists hypothesize sharks first appeared in the ocean around 455 million years ago. (NOAA Fisheries, 2018)
• Each whale shark’s spot pattern is unique as a fingerprint. (NOAA Fisheries, 2018)
• Great white sharks have such a strong sense of smell that they can detect a colony of seals two miles away. And check this out – if there was only one drop of blood in 100 litres of water, a great white would smell it! (National Geographic Kids, N.D.)
• Great white sharks are at the top of the food chain and aren’t likely to be killed by other sea creatures. Sadly, however, they are under serious threat by human activity. Illegal hunting of these beautiful beasts, and overfishing, have meant that today great white sharks are a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List. (National Geographic Kids, N.D.)
• Sharks have survived five massive planet extinction events. These extinction events killed most life on earth and the last one around 65 million yeas ago killed the dinosaurs. (Shark Guardian, 2020)
• Sharks may be one of the most important species on Earth. They have been maintaining our oceans for over 400 millions years. (Shark Guardian, 2020)
• Some sharks can produce more than 20,000 teeth in their lifetimes. (Oceana, 2014)
• The whale shark may live up to 150 years, making it one of the longest-living creatures on Earth. (Oceana, 2014)
• Although rare, a female shark can reproduce without any contact from a male. This is called parthenogenesis. Scientists have only documented a couple of cases, but some suspect that perhaps any female shark can get pregnant on her own in the right circumstances. (Shark Guardian, N.D.)

Even though sharks may seem terrifying (and I won’t say it’s not valid to fear them some), they aren’t bloodthirsty monsters that have it out for humans, but rather an impressive species that has been around for a very long time, helping to maintain our oceans. They will hopefully continue to do so for even longer. And while shark attacks do happen, they aren’t as common as you might think and are rarely fatal, as sharks don’t include humans as part of their diets. (BBC Future, 2019)

References

Elliott, B. (2016, August 25). Photos: The 10 Coolest Facts You Never Knew about Sharks. Oceana USA. https://usa.oceana.org/blog/photos-10-coolest-facts-you-never-knew-about-sharks.

Fisheries, N. O. A. A. 12 Shark Facts That May Surprise You. NOAA. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/12-shark-facts-may-surprise-you.

Gray, R. (2019, August 8). The real reasons why sharks attack humans. BBC Future. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190808-why-do-sharks-attack-humans.

National Geographic . (2020, September 16). 10 facts about great white sharks! National Geographic Kids. https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/sea-life/great-white-sharks/.

Rogers, M. (2016, August 30). Why Are Sharks Endangered? SharkSider.com. https://www.sharksider.com/why-are-sharks-endangered/.

Sharkguardian. Top 100 Shark Facts. sharkguardian. https://www.sharkguardian.org/top-100-shark-facts.

Written by: Victoria Weaver

Art by: Yanni Spanolios | Instagram