Arguably one of my favorite weeks of the year for television, I hurriedly set my DVR to record a series of shows dedicated to one of my favorite animals. With it being over 100-degrees here in Southern California, and my residing less than an hour from the beach, it is impossible to not become engulfed in the whirlwind that is Shark Week.
I'm always the first person to feign a small cry and say, "They're so misunderstood," with any mention of those sharp-toothed frenzy feeders. While most people are tuning in with the hope they'll see some bloody attack or catch site of a breaching Great White, I think we should look to it for the educational purposes, and less for the carnage.
Cue the rolling eyes, but really, the fascination behind the week tends to stem from the morbid obsession people have with them as apex predators and not as natural parts of our ecosystem. As an avid shark enthusiast, and with the release of movies like "The Shallows," I feel it necessary to talk about how awesome sharks are and what things like shark week can teach us about them.
They don't think you taste as good as cinema likes to portray
With no natural predators and an undeniably terrifying appearance, it is easy for films like "Jaws" to pick this giant fish as the antagonist to a boat of small people. Realistically, the average number of deaths by shark attack in the U.S. each year is about two. That's right. You're exponentially more likely to die from traffic lights malfunctioning, getting hit by a champagne cork, being scalded by hot tap water, or tripping into a hole than you are to meet your watery fate by shark, which is about 1 in 250 million.
Killing sharks disrupts the natural ecosystem
Now that we know sharks aren't swimming around searching for people to munch on, is is really fair for us to be killing an average of 100 million of them each year? No, it's not. Scientists often use the term "keystone" when referring to sharks as the top of food webs in the ocean. Not only do they groom predatory species to the right size so as not to overpopulate, they also tend to eat the sicker or weak fish and prevent the spreading of disease that could destroy marine life as well as move carbon through the ocean and maintain the cycle.
They are incredibly self-sufficient and independent
People can learn a thing or two from these creatures. Not only can female sharks reproduce by parthenogenesis (without the help of a male), but the species as a whole is known for its amazing tissue that acts as both an anticoagulant and has antibacterial properties. Science is trying to study this as best as it can to find cures for things like cancer or cystic fibrosis, and promote a healthier world by learning from one of the most prehistoric creatures.
While the prospect of someone's arm being chewed off is a little more interesting than knowing the exact statistic of a shark attack, it is also what perpetuates them as dangerous monsters. While I wouldn't recommend swimming right up to one and saying hello, I would also not advise that in the case of dolphins, seals or most fish either. Sharks are gentle and necessary for the ocean to maintain its ecosystem, and should be treated as such.
Next time your dog bites you while you're playing, just remember that sharks bite out of curiosity as well and that just because they're naturally more frightening doesn't mean they're not amazing.
