Interesting Shark Facts
Sharks have long been maligned by humankind as some kind of ‘man-eating monster’ of the ocean. These inaccurate perceptions have been fuelled by far-fetched Hollywood movies that have created a largely uneducated outlook of these magnificent creatures. Many sharks species do pose potential danger to humans, however, it must be acknowledged that sharks are not out to hunt humans. On the contrary, the actions of humans in recent years have posed a major threat to the survival of the shark species. That is why shark cage diving tour operators such as African Shark Eco-Charters do all they can to educate visitors about sharks, and increase awareness about the danger that sharks are in owing to human impact factors such as culling and unethical shark cage diving tour methods. Below are a few interesting facts about sharks:
- Of the 360 shark species that exist, only four present an innate danger to human beings. They are: Great White Sharks, Tiger Sharks, Bull Sharks, and the Whitetip Sharks.
- Sharks are believed to have been living on earth for 400 million years. When a shark dies its cartilage dissolves and its teeth drop to the bottom of the ocean where they are covered with sandy sediment. This prevents oxygen and destructive bacteria from reaching the tooth allowing researchers to carry out in depth tests that help to determine the age of the fossil.
- Research has concluded that sharks may be afraid of dolphins. In addition to this, there have been cases where dolphins have protected humans from sharks before. Mythbusters (a popular programme on Discovery Channel) tested this theory by placing a mechanical dolphin close to where a great white shark was feeding. Instead of the shark going for the bait or dolphin he avoided both of them.
- Sharks don’t always eat whatever they have bitten. Most often they bite to determine if the object is worth their digestive time. If they’ve bitten it and don’t think it is worth their while they will leave it and find something better. It is almost like us people inspecting a menu and deciding what to eat. If we aren’t satisfied we’ll just look for something else or find another restaurant.
