Howdy folks! It's true, we usually focus on land based animals, but today we decided to shine a spotlight on our deep sea friends, sharks! "Let's face it, sharks have a bad rap. Thanks to sensationalized stories and stereotyping, sharks have become feared rather than revered. They're labeled as dangerous, indiscriminate killers that eat anything in sight. But in fact, sharks are most often the victims. They're killed by the millions annually to supply demand for their fins, which are made into soup and eaten as a status symbol. Such demand for fins has led to overfishing and illegal fishing, depleting shark populations worldwide." Via WWF.
Most people do not realize that sharks are a critical part of the marine environment and must be protected! There are so many misconceptions about sharks. "Not all sharks are large, bulky and torpedo-shaped like the ones we see in movies. There are actually more than 400 different species of sharks and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from the tiny 8-inch-long deepwater dogfish to the massive 40-foot-long whale shark." Via WWF. Let's check out some of these awesome creatures in action, in GIF form!
For all those who do not know, healthy shark populations are linked to thriving marine ecosystems. Losing sharks deprives coastal communities in many countries of livelihoods, food, and tourism opportunities! In short, we need to be nicer to sharks because they really do have an impact on people and communities.
It's a common misconception that sharks are blood thirsty human killers. However, "there were only five shark-related human deaths in 2018 compared to tens of millions of sharks killed annually by people. Sharks are in all the world's oceans, but shark attacks are extremely rare. In fact, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a shark." Via WWF. Hey, the more ya know
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