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They shock, terrify, and startle us, yet no other creatures have the power to capture our imaginations in such a dramatic way. But most of the shark attacks you hear about are less deadly than being stung by a bee. That is why I love sharks because most people are afraid of sharks just because of what they hear about on t.v. or from other media.I have liked and studied sharks since I was 7 years old.
I love learning more and more about sharks every day. My four favorite sharks are: White sharks,Makos,
Whale sharks,and Megamouths. My family has helped me to learn about sharks also. So I hope you understand more about sharks and look at them in a diffrent point of view.
I have studied sharks for about 4 years. I have learned that more people die from bee stings than they do shark attacks! Considering that tens of thousands of people come in close contact with sharks each year while swimming, surfing, or boating, the number of shark attacks is negligible. In 2006, there were 62 confirmed “unprovoked” shark attacks in the world, resulting in 4 deaths. Sharks are not bloodthirsty maniacal killers. As the ocean’s number one predator, sharks help maintain the balance of nature by reducing animal populations.
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The whale shark, the largest fish in the world, has been known to dive as deep as 3 miles. Oddly, scientists don’t know why the whale shark swims to that depth. There’s no sunlight and no plankton to eat. Some scientists have speculated that they might take a deep dive to cool off but we don’t know for certain why the whale shark sometimes visits these extreme depths.
There are other sharks that live their entire lives at depths of 500 or more meters. The dwarf lantern shark is an example of this kind of shark. Interestingly, the dwarf lantern shark produces it’s own light through photophores. Good thing because there is no light at 500 meters…but a bad thing for the lantern shark’s prey who are irresistibly drawn to the pretty lights.
Keep those questions coming!
The Cub Reporter with help from fisheries professor Rusty Wright
Facts About Sharks
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a streamlined body.
They respire with the use of five to seven gill slits.
Sharks have a covering of dermal denticles that protect their skin from damage and parasites and improve fluid dynamics;
Sharks have replaceable teeth.
Sharks range in size from the small dwarf lanternshark a deep sea species of only 7 inches in length, to the whale shark, the largest fish, which grows to a length of 39 ft.
The bull shark is the best known of several species to swim in both salt, freshwater and in deltas.