Sharks!
Everyone knows about the ferocious, bloodthirsty and predatory sharks of the oceans, but what do we REALLY know? Sharks may not be the "Jaws of Death" that we make them out to be, if they were only understood. They are really no more blood-thirsty than you or me (except for maybe psychotic murderers, but....what can you say for them? we all have our little flaws). Some sharks, like lemon sharks or nurse sharks, can be almost harmless. The thing is to LEAVE THEM ALONE. Anyways, here is some information about them that just might make them seem a little less blood-thirsty, and increase your knowledge of the predatory animals of the oceans.
Sharks, unlike dolphins and whales, are not mammals. They are fish, like some of their smaller relatives, the tuna and the trout. So, they do not need to breath air, like mammals. Instead of blowholes, like whales and dolphins, sharks have gills like fish. When sharks swim through the water, flipping their tale back and forth, water rushes into these gills and the body takes the oxygen from this water. Then, the water comes out through the gills again. Since the sharks can only get oxygen while they're moving, they can't stop moving or they'll die. Also, instead of moving their tails up and down like cetecean mammals, they move their tails right and left like fish. Well, they are fish! Sharks do not have any bone in their body. Their whole skeleton is made of something called cartilage. This is a very flexible material that allows sharks to bend back and forth a lot easier than we can. Actually, we also have this sort of material: in our outer ears and the tips of our noses. If you felt your nose or ears, you can tell that they are very flexible, and bend and fold easily. This way, it makes it easier for sharks to maneuver in the water.
If you are afraid of getting sharkbites, then think about this. Most sharks aren't interested in eating humans. They only bite when provoked, or when they are desperate enough for food. Sharks eat big fish, dolphins, whales, seals, turtles, and anything else that they can get their jaws on. Sharks that eat things like dolphins, seals, and really big lifeforms have very big triangular upper teeth that have serrated edges. This sort of teeth are made for tearing into flesh. Sharks like the Great White have this sort of teeth. Other sharks have long narrow pointed teeth, used for holding prey before they swallow it. So, these sharks wouldn't eat divers because we're just too big for them to swallow whole. If you consider all the people that dive and swim in the sea, you might be surprised that only so many people have been bitten by sharks. They're just not interested in us, except as bothersome nuisances invading their turf.
Sharks are also one of the kinds of animals that use echolocation. This means that they make sounds that are of a very high frequency. These sounds shoot forward, then bounce off of anything that is in their way, and come back to the sender. By the amount of time it takes to get back, the frequency, direction, and so on, the shark knows exactly what is in front of them, and where. When it comes to what sharks eat, you can pretty much say that they are carnivorous scavengers. They eat whatever kind of meat that they can eat. What that means, is they eat whatever animals they happen to catch. Sharks eat seals, sea lions, dolphins, big fish, little fish, or any other kinds of animals. The bigger sharks with teeth for tearing eat bigger prey than the sharks with the long narrow kind of teeth.
So you see, there isn't really anything to be scared about when you're thinking about the "danger of sharks" unless you're really bothering a shark or it's desperately hungry. Just try to avoid sharks, but don't be paranoid. Keep your cool if you see sharks. Don't bother them or chase them. They just might turn on you and try to drive you away. So, if you leave them alone, they'll usually leave you alone.
Almost Harmless |
More Dangerous |
Fairly Common |
Weird Shapes |
|
wobbegong shark |
bull shark/zambezi |
gray nurse shark (sand tiger) |
megamouth shark |
|
epaulette shark |
tiger sharks |
white-tipped reef sharks |
goblin shark |
|
horned sharks |
oceanic whitetip shark |
silvertip reef sharks |
hammerhead |
|
blind sharks |
great white shark |
gray reef shark/gray whaler |
thresher shark |
|
leopard shark/zebra shark |
blue sharks |
black tipped reef sharks |
whale shark |
|
guitar shark |
galapagos shark |
sandbar shark |
basking shark |
|
banjo shark |
mako |
lemon shark |
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