Interesting Facts about Shark Attacks

Life in the depths brings forth dangers on every living creature due to the environment teeming with predators—sharks. They were feared by humankind for centuries because of their gigantic, razor-sharp jaws that can tear their prey into shreds in just a single bite. In Fiji and Solomon Islands, sharks are not allowed to be eaten and harmed by humans because they believed that these creatures possess the spirits of their dead ancestors.

After several years of its history, researchers have found a lot of information about these massive, fearful but fascinating creatures of the depths. The study shows that not all predators in the ocean are harmful to humans.

Interesting Facts about Sharks

• Dwarf sharks are the smallest of all species. They only grow up to the size of a human arm.
• Whale sharks are the largest sharks in the sea that grows as big as the length of a bus.
• The largest meal of sharks lasts every 3 months so they are only dangerous 4 times a year.
• There are 360 species of sharks under the sea but only four of them are dangerous to humans: the Great White Shark, Oceanic Whitetip Shark, Tiger Shark and the Bull Shark.
• Sharks attack humans at approximately 100 people each year and only 10 cases resulted to fatality. Meanwhile humans kill more than 10 million sharks for their meats, fins, skin and liver oil for human supplement. That’s why humans are more dangerous than sharks.
• Bull sharks can live in either fresh or sea water.
• Sharks attack men more than women.
• Sharks can smell even a single drop of blood in a million parts of water and can hear fish even from a mile away. It’s because 2/3 of the shark brain is designed to sense of smelling and hearing.

Types of Shart Attacks

1. Provoked attacks. It happens when human teases, pokes or touches sharks in a certain place.
2. Unprovoked attacks such as:

a) Sneak attack is the most fatal attacks of sharks which happen when the prey does not see the shark because of the repeated deep bites they received.

b) Bump and bite attack is when the shark does not notice the prey which he bumps before he bites then swim away from the prey.

c ) Hit and run attack when the victims do not see the shark which bites and leaves without any life threatening injuries.

Since sharks are mobile, you cannot detect a certain place where they will bite. Others will stay in the depths or in shallow and crowded places such as beaches while others stay in the lowest point.

Safety Tips

Sharks attack even in the shallow or deep waters during dusk, night and dawn. This are the times that sharks usually feed. So, to be safe from the sharks attacks take some few safety measures:

• Avoid swimming alone.
• Avoid wearing shiny jewelry while in the water.
• Avoid bringing pets in the water.
• Avoid to much splashing of water.
• Avoid murky dark areas where sharks love to hunt for prey.

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