In honor of Shark Week, there is an ongoing issue that must be addressed in regards to shark attacks on humans. Each year, more and more people are becoming afraid of these large, slimy cartilaginous fish and, to be honest, Shark Week doesn't ease the phobia much, and in fact, increases it. As Bruce from "Finding Nemo" stated: "I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine," so it's time to clear up all of this nonsense about these scary, human-killing machines of the deep.

For beach-goers, many dare not go into the ocean due to the fear that they may be bitten by a shark lurking in the shallows. Some of this information is due to watching shark-themed movies (unless it's a true story, do not believe what you see). But some is due to actual incidents that have been reported via some sort of media coverage whether local or national. But fear not! There are over 500 different species of sharks, but yet only a handful are connected to humans being bitten. This is less than 5 percent of all shark species, which means that 95 percent of shark species are absolutely harmless to humans (Sea Shepherd). They don't like you just as much as you don't like them.

So why do people get bitten by sharks if 95 percent of the shark population are supposedly "harmless" to the human race? Simple. Mistakes can happen. Have you ever been driving late at night and see what appears to be animal eyes in the distance only to find out it was a mailbox reflector? Sharks are the exact same way; they can misjudge shapes underwater. Trust me, humans are not their food of choice. Sharks enjoy pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), fish and sea turtles in particular. And, look back at the cover photo, at human surfer (or swimmer for that matter) can appear to resemble sharks' main prey. This sparks the curiosity of the shark and leads it to take a bite. Once it realizes the different taste of the blood, it'll immediately realize its mistake and retreat.

As many fail to know, most shark species lack cones in their eyes which means they are completely colorblind and see objects in only black and white. Their vision also tends to be quite blurry, so your vibrantly patterned swim suits and surfboards will not help save you from a curious shark. Sharks also actually have a different sense of hearing than we do, but researchers have conducted sound tests in correlating the sounds a human makes underwater versus the average pinniped. Dr Hart, one of the researchers from Australian who took part in this study, found that seals and humans sounded similar under the water (Sunday Morning Herald). These same researchers are still conducting different studies in order to see how they can make surfers safer out in the ocean. Their main peak of interest involves a strategic placement of lights underneath the board to illuminate the outline of the board and surfer better in a way so that the shark will not be apt to confuse the person with being prey. Again, this is still a work in progress, and results have not been yet confirmed for this matter.

But to refresh, most sharks are completely harmless to humans. You're not even on their menu, and aren't even close to being put on it. A curious shark's bite — in the mind of a shark — isn't meant to be detrimental, though it requires definite medical attention, it's just to see if you're one of its prey. It doesn't mean to harm you in any way.

But if you're still concerned about the risk of a shark attack, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration has a bullet list of precautions you should always take into consideration when going out into the ocean:

• "Always stay in groups since sharks are more likely to attack an individual. Do not wander too far from shore — this isolates you and decreases your chance of being rescued.
• Avoid being in the water early in the morning and during darkness or twilight hours when sharks are most active and searching for food.
• Do not enter the water if bleeding.
• Avoid wearing shiny jewelry because the reflected light resembles the sheen of fish scales.
• Avoid waters being used by sport or commercial fisherman, especially if there are signs of bait fishes or feeding activity. Diving seabirds are good indicators of such action.
• Use extra caution when waters are murky and avoid bright colored clothing. Refrain from excess splashing.
• Exercise caution when occupying the area between sandbars or near steep drop offs — these are favorite hangouts for sharks.
• Do not enter the water if sharks are known to be present and evacuate the water if sharks are seen while there. And do not approach a shark if you see one" (NOAA)

So what have we learned today, Bruce?