As you know, Discovery Channel held its annual Shark Week because Michael Phelps made headlines for racing a "Great White Shark." A majority of people ended up being disappointed when they found out that the shark Phelps was up against wasn't a real shark but rather a computer-generated simulation.
I mean how can you expect a human to race right next to a shark? It is probably impossible because we humans can't train a shark; sharks have a mind of their own.
I have always watched Shark Week growing up, and I was truly fascinated with them, and what their mind process is. Many people on this Earth truly do not understand sharks, and this is why I'm here to give you some background on them. But first, I should let you in on why I have a deep appreciation for sharks and where they live; the ocean.
When junior year of high school rolled around, I was placed in a science class called Marine Biology. I heard through the grapevine that you got to dissect a squid and shark, and I was all for it. I entered the class on the first day of school, and that year science became my favorite subject. I learned so many things such as what brackish water is.
Brackish water is where fresh and salt water meet. A fun fact about brackish water is that Bull Sharks can adapt from salt water to fresh water. I remember watching this documentary about shark attacks on the New Jersey Shore back in the summer of 1916.
It was my first time hearing that Bull Sharks can swim upstream in a river and actually survive there. Furthermore, these sharks are the only sharks that spend more time in estuaries than other kinds.
Now on to Great White Sharks. People traveling to Cape Cod can probably see one since they are off the coast of Chatham because of the seal population. I was watching a shark attack documentary a few days ago where Great Whites were attacking people off the coast of Australia.
Do not be alarmed, people, this documentary happened about ten years ago. So, if you're in the land down under now, you should be fine; at least I hope so.
As I was saying, these sharks were attacking people, and Marine Biologists found out that these Great Whites were juvenile. We have our parents teach us right from wrong when were young and they guide us through life. However, after a female Great White gives birth to their babies, they do not teach their young right from wrong.
The Marine Biologist in the documentary said that these young sharks are teaching themselves what is edible and what is not. They are just taking a bite out of everything that comes their way. So this is where "the man eater" reputation comes from.
Sharks rarely hunt humans; if a person is attacked, then it's mostly a case of mistaken identity. Thrashing arms, dangling legs are what sharks see as prey.
If you're afraid of getting bit by a shark this summer then you should abide by these rules:
1. Don't wear anything flashing like jewelry.
2. Avoid murky water and water that the fishermen's boats are in because they have live bait because they're obviously catching you a nice seafood dinner for later.
3. Avoid swimming in the early morning and dusk because sharks use those times to find breakfast and dinner; they need to eat too!
4. If there have been shark sightings at a specific beach you frequently visit, and there are warnings saying "do not go into the water," then don't go into the water.
5. If you see a bunch of seals just chilling and bobbing along in the water, don't go in that body of water.
Overall, sharks are pretty cool creatures, and they deserve to be looked at in a positive way. One of the things on my bucket list is to go cage diving with Great White sharks. I hope it comes true one day. Please don't fear sharks because they are not man-eaters.
