Sharks - How Dangerous Are They?
The thought of sharks conjures up images from Hollywood movies: predatory creatures, out for blood, deliberately hunting down unwary beachgoers. The thing is, they don't even like to eat people. Human blood doesn't get them going the way the blood of the stuff they actually eat does. And when they attack, it's usually just a single bite.
Fish and seals and other various sea creatures make up that fearsome hunter's diet. And they've evolved wonderfully to suit their trade; strong, fast, nimble, and lots and lots of teeth, which is a big part of why we find them so scary.
People are most likely to be in danger of a shark attack when they inadvertently mimic the behavior of a shark's prey. For example, a surfer who has swum far out from shore and is thrashing around, trying to get into position to ride a big wave, may seem like an injured seal to a shark. The surfer is has no idea that their behavior is attracting the shark. In a way, it's like a hapless swimmer who gets caught in a riptide and pulled out to sea. It's just an unfortunate coincidence.
Although many millions of people visit beaches every year, only about twelve are actually killed by sharks. Out of the approximately ninety shark attacks each year, most are not vicious and result in only a bruise. Although this is not negligible, these bumps and nudges are mostly accidental, not purposefully vicious, and should not be taken out of context.
Strange though it may seem, falling coconuts actually cause 10 times as many injuries to humans as sharks do. The Tiger shark and the great white shark may be the most aggressive of sharks but they very rarely attack humans. You'll find yourself more at risk whilst you drive to the beach, bearing in mind that driving kills more than 40,000 people on the US each year.
When a person is bitten by a shark, of course the victim deserves sympathy. But so the hundreds of sharks that will be hunted and killed in revenge. The sharks have no idea what they have done or why we are trying to kill them; unlike humans, they can't be told why they are being subjected to a punishment. We have only two choices: to kill sharks, or to live with them peacefully. Killing them hasn't made us safer, so perhaps we should try the second option.
Although the Hollywood image of sharks has left people afraid of the water, it's important to be aware that they are not seeking out humans as prey. However, they sometimes mistake people as prey, when the people mimic the prey's behavior. Even so, only a dozen or so people out of the millions that swim in the oceans each year, get killed by a shark attack. The Tiger shark and the great white shark may be the most aggressive but they rarely attack humans. You'll find yourself more at risk while you drive to the beach, since driving kills more than 40,000 people in the US each year.
Published April 13th, 2008
Filed in Science