Friday, August 17, 2012
Shark Week?
This is my second post today, is that a blogging "no-no"? Oh well, I have a lot to say. Okay let's go. Shark Week. I'm rather terrified of sharks to be honest, "Jaws" really messed me up. I understand they're beautiful, but the only way I want to be around a shark is if it is behind aquarium walls, thick acrylic, bullet proof plexiglass sort of deal. I watched a whole show about survivors of shark attacks yesterday. They said on average 5 people are bitten a year, but this seems a bit wrong since they were talking about the "rogue shark theory" and 5 people were torn apart in a span of about a week around Egypt (if I remember right). To make my fear worse, we bought a Timeshare in the shark bite capital of the world, New Smyrna Beach, Florida. I usually stay in the pool. The one time I actually got in the ocean a friend's little brother scared me (he went behind me, went under the water and grabbed my leg. I screamed like a little baby). I just remember thinking "This is how I'm going to die." morbid right? But back to how pretty sharks are. They're gorgeous, and people are poaching them for dorsal fin soup. Sometimes fisherman are trying to trap bigger fish like sable fish or marlin in net traps or something they call "long lines", but they get sharks instead and kill them. Reproductive and growth rates for sharks are slow causing them to become vulnerable to over fishing. Come on people, is dorsal fin soup really worth killing off the majestic shark? I want my grandchildren to be able to see a shark in real life, not in a book because they are extinct. Save the Sharks! (And polar bears, save them too!)
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No. On average, there are 16 shark attack per year, many of which can be easily prevented. Just stay clear of surfing with low light (sunrise, and sunset) because that will confuse the shark. (The outline of a surfer looks A LOT like the outline of a seal.) If you see a large concentration of seals, it's probably best to stay away from that area. Avoid splashing the top of the water. Sharks are great at sensing movement in water, and excessive splashing sounds/feels like an injured fish to them. Also, stay away from bull sharks and areas with lots of bull sharks. They're the most aggressive by far. The human male has a testosterone level of 250, and bull sharks have levels of over 400.
ReplyDeleteReally? 16? I guess I didn't remember right. Oh well, I'm human, we make mistakes! Have you seen the Mythbusters shark week episodes? theyre brilliant!
ReplyDeleteYeah. Well, I had to Google that. All Shark Week said was that five were *killed* by sharks. I have! I caught the tail-end of one. They are! I have a love-hate relationship with Shark Week. It educates people about the gorgeous, misunderstood creatures. However, they have a really bad habit of casting sharks as menacing creatures, to build drama. I would love to shark dive. Free-dive or cage-dive.
ReplyDeleteWell, they want the views! I love snorkeling, but I would probably pee myself if I saw a shark, I'll stick to admiring sharks behind glass. Unless it's small, then I might touch it.
ReplyDeleteI know. And I understand it! But it just kind of defeats the point. "Save sharks! Now hear about them eating people!" I hate the beach. Haha but I'm totally open to shark-diving. You'd be safe with a whale shark! They're the biggest shark, but mostly harmless.
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