Sharks are often misunderstood creatures, feared for their reputation as dangerous predators, but the reality is much more complex. Humans are actually more dangerous to sharks than they are to us.
Sharks face numerous threats, including overfishing, climate change, and habitat destruction, which endanger their survival. Despite their fearsome image, sharks play crucial roles in the ocean ecosystem, helping maintain a healthy marine environment.
Here are surprising and fascinating facts about sharks that might change the way you think about these incredible creatures:
Sharks Don’t Have Bones: Instead of bones, sharks have skeletons made of cartilage, the same material that makes up your nose and ears. This lightweight structure helps them remain agile and fast in the water.
Shark Skin is Spiky: Sharks’ skin is covered with tiny, tooth-like structures called dermal denticles, which reduce friction and help them swim efficiently. If you were to touch a shark, it would feel like sandpaper due to these scales.
Some Sharks Are Warm-Blooded: While most fish are cold-blooded, certain sharks like the great white and mako sharks can regulate their body temperature, allowing them to survive in cooler waters.
Sharks Have Rows of Teeth: Sharks have between five and 15 rows of teeth, with the largest teeth at the front and smaller ones at the back. They lose teeth frequently, sometimes as often as once a week, and some sharks have thousands of teeth throughout their lives.
Sharks Can Sense Electric Fields: Sharks have electroreception abilities, meaning they can detect electrical signals produced by other creatures. This helps them hunt prey and locate animals hidden beneath the sand.
Great White Sharks Travel Long Distances: Great whites are known to travel over 4,000 kilometers annually between feeding and breeding grounds. One shark, named Nicole, swam 20,000 kilometers from South Africa to Australia.
Slow Reproductive Rates: Sharks have some of the slowest reproductive rates in the animal kingdom, with gestation periods lasting up to two years in some species. This slow reproduction, combined with threats like overfishing, puts many species at risk.
Most Sharks Give Birth to Live Young: While some shark species lay eggs, most give birth to live pups, which are miniature versions of sharks.
Over 500 Shark Species Exist: Sharks come in many sizes, from the tiny dwarf lanternshark, which can fit in your hand, to the massive whale shark, which can grow up to 32 feet long.
Sharks Are Vital for Ocean Health: As apex predators, sharks regulate the populations of other marine life, helping maintain balance in the ecosystem. Without them, the marine food chain would collapse.
90+ Shark Species Are Endangered: Many shark species, including the great hammerhead and sand tiger shark, are critically endangered, primarily due to human activities like overfishing and habitat destruction.
Shark Attacks Are Rare: While sharks are often feared, they are responsible for fewer than 10 human fatalities each year. On the other hand, humans take around 100 million sharks annually.
Sharks Can Enter a Trance: When flipped upside down, sharks can enter a state called tonic immobility, similar to playing possum. This response is still not fully understood but is believed to be related to mating behavior.
IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) is actively working to protect sharks by supporting global efforts to manage shark trade and catch. Through partnerships with organizations like CITES, IFAW advocates for sustainable practices to reduce shark mortality.
By focusing on protecting these incredible creatures, IFAW aims to ensure that sharks continue to thrive in the ocean, helping to balance the marine ecosystem and combat climate change.
