Sharks: truth versus fiction
Scientific facts about sharks that reveal the large gap between their image in people’s minds and their actual behavior in the sea.
The real shark is completely different from the shark you imagine. The truth is more exciting and less terrifying than cinema has portrayed.
The myth of the man-eating shark
The chance of a fatal shark attack is less than the chance of dying from a lightning strike or a bee sting. Sharks do not prefer humans as food, and their rare attacks are usually driven by curiosity or self-defense.
Amazing facts about sharks
Their ages and lifespan
A cauliflower shark may reach 30 years, a whale shark lives more than 70 years, and some deep-water shark species live a century or more.
Their intelligence
Sharks are not stupid killing machines. They are intelligent creatures that learn, adapt, and remember good hunting sites for years.
The shark is threatened with extinction
Humans kill between 80 and 100 million sharks a year, while sharks kill fewer than 10 people a year. Who should fear the other?
Correct behavior when meeting a shark
- Stay calm and do not speed up your movement
- Avoid screaming or panic movements
- Move away slowly while facing the shark, not by turning your back
- Respect its distance and give it space
The shark does not need fear from us but respect. It is a pillar of the marine ecosystem, and losing it is a disaster for the oceans.