Do sharks deserve their bad reputation?

Since humanity appeared on Earth, it has learned to fear and respect the apex predators that roam our oceans and some freshwater rivers. What am I talking about Sharks In fact, as soon as people hear the word: “Jaws!” terror is instantly painted on their faces as their mind quickly recalls the terrifying scenes from the movie: “Jaws.” Is it really fair to give sharks such a bad reputation? They deserve it? We’ll see!

Fact # 1: Shark attacks are not a special effect or figment of the imagination of the writers responsible for movies like “Jaws” and “Deep Blue Sea.” Exist. In fact, there are an average of 56 unprovoked shark attacks each year, globally. Of these attacks, approximately 4 are fatal.

Fiction # 1: Sharks stalk cold-blooded killers. While they are cold-blooded creatures, they do not stalk anyone, especially humans. In fact, of the 62 annual shark attacks, 56 were unprovoked. Of these shark attacks, 6 are caused by humans who are actually attacking them. Of the 56 unprovoked shark attacks, most, if not all, are due to confusion with their favorite food: seals. There is too much for them to eat in the oceans and rivers to start wasting their time, stalking humans. The movies are based solely on entertainment and ticketing purposes, not fact.

Fact # 2: There are no words to describe the horror of a shark attack, but the conservation statistics don’t lie either. While an average of 4 deaths per year are due to unprovoked shark attacks out of a total of 56 worldwide, there are 100 million sharks that are victimized by humans as they are affected by commercial overfishing or illegal fishing. of both: sport or commercial fishermen. They all result in fatalities: 100 million of them.

Fiction # 2: Sharks eat almost anything … or anyone. The truth of the matter is, unless you’re talking about the tiger shark, most shark species will prefer to eat fish, mollusks, and marine mammals. Humans don’t belong on your menu.

Fact # 3: Of the 350 species of sharks that roam the waters of our planet, only 20% are capable of carrying out a shark attack on humans or even coming into contact with them. In fact, 80% of sharks are too small, are plankton, or live where humans are nowhere to be seen, so they pose no threat to humanity.

Fiction n. 3: The great white shark prefers humans to anything else. Fake! In fact, they are usually removed after the first bite, as humans are too bony for their taste and do not have that rich fat they love so much that they often find in seals, sea lions and whales.

Fact # 4: The most significant shark attack ever recorded was carried out during WWII on the crew of the USS Indianapolis. While around a dozen crew members were eaten by sharks in this tragic incident, the victims were generally the dead, the seriously injured or the isolated. Sharks are not known to prey on healthy individuals and fear the consequences.

Fiction n. 4: Sharks kill humans on purpose. In fact, the majority of sharks involved in deaths caused by shark attacks are primarily due to the size of the bite inflicted, not the number of bites. If an artery is cut, the cause of death is usually exsanguination, not the bite itself. Large sharks are generally responsible for such deaths. The shark species involved in this type of fatality are mainly the great white shark, the bull shark and the tiger shark.

Fact # 5: Some species of sharks are more dangerous to humans than others. That is true since some species are more aggressive or more common in certain areas. When hunting, especially in murky waters, sharks such as the great white, bull sharks, and tiger sharks are not intimidated by size and will attack during hunting hours if they are mistaken for their favorite prey. These three species are the main shark species involved in unprovoked shark attacks.

Fiction # 5: The bigger the shark, the more dangerous it is to humans. While the great white shark is impressive in size, the whale shark and basking sharks, which are the two largest fish swimming in our planet’s oceans, are also plankton eaters, which means they pose no harm. for humans. In fact, several divers have been keeping these gentle giants company.

As you can see, sharks don’t deserve their bad rap, which is mainly the result of horror movies based on certain species of sharks. In reality, those who are the “real” victims are not humans. Don’t forget that our oceans and some rivers are also their natural habitat. We are the uninvited guests. The least we can do is show them respect and give them a little space when security becomes an issue. Don’t make them the “bad guys”! In fact, most shark attack survivors have nothing but respect for them. There must be a reason!