What do sharks eat?

Thanks to films like “Jaws,” “Shark Tale” and other stories popular in the current media, there seems to be the perception in the general public that sharks are only interested in eating people. This is especially true for the species known as the “great white” shark. Despite this view, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Due to the great variety of sharks alive today, there are any number of foods that the shark eats depending on what species of shark one is talking about. Some of the biggest sharks alive, like the species known as “whale sharks,” actually live by cruising around with their mouths open, filtering out both phytoplankton (consisting of millions of tiny plants) and zooplankton (consisting of tiny animals like krill, squid larvae, and jellyfish larvae) that thrive in warmer waters close to the surface. Other sharks, like the basking sharks, like colder waters like those found near the states of New York and Massachusetts.

Still other shark species, like the nurse shark live on prey like crabs, lobsters and other crustaceans and smaller fish, as well as invertebrates like small squid and octopi. As the size of the shark increase, the size of their prey can increase, up to some sharks like the great white and the hammerheads that will go after prey animals like seals, penguins, and even other smaller species of sharks that they find.

It is, of course, the great white that has received the worst press as far as being blamed for human attacks. Certain studies have been done in which experts have determined that the great whites only attack if they are feeling threatened. Still other studies seem to point to the fact that sharks are only attacking humans because from the bottom, humans on surfboards resemble seals, sea lions or penguins as they paddle through the water. Both animals form an important component of the regular diet of great white sharks, as do other animals like dolphins, small whales, firm fleshed fish like tuna, and even other sharks.

There are some studies conducted that were based on the first-hand accounts of sailors and people who were attacked in the water. They dated back as far as World War I, and say that those unfortunates who were attacked already were wounded and were losing blood, something which is reputed to call sharks to a wounded creature from as far away as a mile. Whatever the reason for these incidents, many people have worked hard to eradicate great white sharks from the oceans as being too dangerous to let live around humans.

Another shark that people have targeted for being too dangerous to be around humans is the hammerhead shark, which actually comes in a wide range of sizes and has a very interesting feeding pattern. Scientists believe that the hammerhead shark is equipped with a wide spread of special sensors along its head which have the capacity to generate electricity with its T-shaped snout. Some scientists have observed the hammerhead shark using its head much like a metal detector to scan the sandy sea bottom to look for stingrays which are one of its favorite, primary food sources. Other prey sources for the many species of hammerheads include such things as sardines, herring, smaller species of sharks, and invertebrates like the squid and octopus.

If you are interested in Sharks then you should really consider a Great White Shark Cage Diving Tour. These tours place you about as close as you will ever safely get to the shark species.