Sharks. Most people fear them, some people worship them. Then there are people like me, they like sharks for who they are and want to know everything about them. I intend to prove to you that not all sharks are man eaters. Oh and I know the Jaws Music contradicts the entire purpose of this page, but it was the only shark related music I could find. Sorry. Please go to my shark picture gallery when you have finished reading this page. There is a link at the bottom.
This is a whale shark. They are very docile sharks and seem to enjoy human presence in the water. These sharks grow to lengths up to 55 feet. That makes them the largest fish on earth.
Now, this shark has a 6 foot wide mouth. It could easily swallow a VW Bug whole (or a human for that matter). So what does this gentle giant eat? Microscopic plankton, tons of it. Humans have no fear of being eaten by this magnificent shark.
Whale Sharks act as taxis some times. They will allow divers to hold on to their dorsal fin and take a short ride. They are rare sharks and little is known about them. You can find whale sharks in most warm tropical oceans. One of the best places to find them is in the Ningaloo Reef off Exmouth, Australia.
Well let's see. I hope you can identify this shark. It's really not that hard. Look at the head. What is it shaped like? Welcome to the world of the Hammerhead shark. What is the reason for the strange shape of this creature's head? Sharks have a special sense. They can detect small amounts of electricity through pores in their skin called ampullae of Lorenzini. They are particularly sensitive to the electricity given off by a dying, sick, or struggling fish. The Hammerhead shark has these pores all over the "hammer" making them very efficient hunters.
These sharks are the only known to gather in great schools of several hundred sharks. Nobody is quite sure why they school, but scientists are determined to figure it out. The Hammerheads like to eat rays, skates, crabs, squid, bony-fish, and occasionally other sharks. Now a question people ask of all sharks, Do they attack humans? In some parts of the world the answer would be yes. In the Red Sea hammerheads are feared for unprovoked attacks. But if you travel elsewhere you will find them to be timid and shy. The bubbles from a diver's regulator are enough to scare them away.
This may sound suprising to those of you who hear "shark" and think "Jaws" but shark attacks on humans are unusual and rare. More people are killed by dogs then sharks in a year. There are over 350 species of sharks and only about 25 have ever been known to attack humans. Now I won't bore you with any more statistics (although if you have read this entire page you are probably quite bored already), on to the best known and most feared shark in the world. . . .
Great White. The name strikes fear and terror into the hearts of people anywhere. Yes, this shark is dangerous and yes, it will bite a human, but in my opinion, no, this shark is not a man-eater. It is a highly misunderstood wild animal that is no safer than a lion or tiger. People do not understand this. A great white does not want to eat you. If it had a menu to choose from seals and sea lions would be number one. They don't really like the way we taste, and often bite thinking they are eating a seal, taste human, then let go and leave.
I'm sure many of you have seen or heard of the movie "Jaws". Remember that large scary shark? Well a great white only grows to around 20 feet long while Jaws is over 28 feet long, so that monster from the movie is not what is swimming around in the oceans. Great Whites have an interesting way of finding food. Because seals tend to be above the water or on the surface the great white will do what is called a "spy-hop" thrusting their head above water to view their surroundings. Once they have eaten a good sized meal the can go up to 3 months without food. Since the Great White is one of the best known and studied sharks there is more information then I could even begin to write about. If you want to learn more I suggest a very good book called "Cousteau's Great White Shark" By Jean-Michel Cousteau and Mose Richards
The American Elasmobranch SocietyAqua Facts: SharksSharks of Hawai'iNatal Sharks Board Home PageGreat White Sharks, Sharks, Sharks, and more SharksA Tribute to Jacques-Yves CousteauUM Department of Zoology-Dr. Eugenie ClarkMonterey Bay AquariumShark Research-Great Barrier Reef-Undersea ExplorerBen S. Roesch's Shark PageMOTE Marine LaboratoryMediterranean Shark Website (Excellent Links)Shark Research Center
My Shark Picture Gallery
-Caitlin
Last Updated: February 6th, 4:21pm EST, 2000
E-Mail me at: jcbug51@yahoo.com
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