1.
Sharks only feed at night
Unlike popular belief, sharks do not only feed during
the nighttime. There may be plenty of species that are more active during the night
because they can hide from prey during the night sky before attacking, and there
might be more prey opportunity. However, the time of day for feeding can vary
from one species to another. Most sharks will feed whenever the opportunity is
presented to them, whether that is during the night or the day.
2.
Sharks cannot see or hear very well
As we all know, sharks can smell (especially blood) from very large distances, they also have other strong senses to navigate through the water and detect and catch prey. While they can use their ampullae of lorenzini for electroreception and a lateral line that detects motion in the ocean, they also use their sight and hearing to hunt. Their eyes are adapted to see in waters with very low amounts of light, and they can hear from extremely far distances. They can use their lateral line and ears for sounds and motions made by near by fish, and they can clearly see the prey with their eyes.
3.
Great whites are killer sharks
Shark week has always been my favorite week during each summer, but they have a bad reputation for making Great White sharks look like killing machines. Unfortunately, there are more views for deadly shark attacks than there are for informational segments. As all wild animals are, they are unpredictable and easily frightened. If they feel threatened, they will try to protect their own. There are far more deaths cause by humans on sharks than the other way around.
Photo credit to The Atlantic
4.
Sharks can regrow their fins when cut off
Many sharks are killed every year over their dorsal
fins. Shark fin soup is extremely popular, and there are plenty of people that
will pay loads of money to acquire shark fins. The shark finning business is
increasingly putting many sharks endangered since they need their dorsal fin to
stay alive. Once the fin is cut off, the shark is no longer able to survive. Visit Our Breathing Planet to find out more about the harmful ways of shark finning
Since humans are the ones to put these beautiful
creatures in danger, we should be the ones to protect and preserve them. If you
visit Save the Sharks you can donate to shark conservation and help keep sharks as our friends in Florida!
Photo credit to Me
I never knew that sharks only feeding at night was a common shark myth. Commonly most shows show the sharks feeding in broad daylight, although the behavior is coaxed, so I wonder what media would give them that assumption. I have however heard of the shark's lack of sense, which I can only assume is because people think that their sense of smell exists to make up for its other possibly lacking senses.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa, I love this topic! I also have to agree with Chris...I had no idea many people thought that sharks only feed at night. Considering a simple google search of sharks feeding, you can clearly see the organism without a flashlight being used meaning the photos must have been taken during daylight. I feel that sharks get this hyped up fear based solely on the blood they cause from prey and their teeth which is understandable. However, with education and the break down of these myths, that fear could potentially diminish.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard the myth that sharks only feed at night before, so I thought that was an interesting idea. Maybe some sharks are more likely to feed at night because their prey isn't swimming around much, making it easier for the sharks to catch them. I agree that the media unfairly portrays many sharks, especially the great white. Most shark attacks are due to the sharks thinking the person is something else. A lot of times it's because they think a person is a turtle or some other species that they often prey on. I also haven't heard the myth that sharks can regrow limbs, though that would be pretty cool, like how lizards can regrow their tails. Sadly, if a lot of people are believing this myth, it may encourage them to either eat or make shark fin soup, declining the shark population further.
ReplyDelete