Videographer Spends 5 Hours Up Close And Persona With Blue Sharks
Blue Sharks are one of the most prolific shark species in the world. They are also one of the most widely spread, being found as far south as Chile, and as far north as Norway. Though they prefer cool waters, they are most often seen of the coasts of Wales, Japan, South Africa, and Canada. They are lifelong migratory creatures, traveling great distances searching for food. They are known sometimes to even migrate as far as the distance between New England all the way to South Africa. Check out some interesting facts about the species.
Emily Stevenson, co-founder of the eco-campaigners "Beach Guardian" had the incredible experience during a boat door, and described playing with them for more than 5 hours. Perfect conditions allowed them to capture the incredible situation they found themselves in.
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Sobering Reality for These Sharks
Blue Sharks are one of the most frequently caught shark species in the world. Due to its wide environment in which they are found around the world, they are constant being caught in trawling nets as a byproduct as they search for fish.
So much so that an average 20 million blue sharks a year are caught. That is slightly offset by their large litter size, which can be over 100 babies at one time. But the damage to the species is significant on an annual basis.
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They Are Thicc
Blue Sharks are medium-sized sharks, but interestingly the females are on average larger than the males, due to the necessity to have a size that can hold their pups. Female blue sharks also have skin that is three times thicker than the males, because the male blue sharks have a propensity to bite during the mating process.
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They Aren't Lone Hunters
Blue sharks often travel and live in small schools, often consisting of either males or females. Each group has its own hierarchy as well, with the largest members more often than not being the leader.
They hunt in this school, but also stay in these groups for protection. With their exceptionally long migration paths, they need to be able to protect themselves during the long journeys.
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All By Myself
Blue sharks, unlike many other shark species, give birth to their young developed within a placenta, instead of eggs. Another rule of thumb for these sharks is the bigger the mother, the more pups she'll have. But the mother leaves her young the second they are born, abandoning them to their own devices, though they are usually at most a foot and a half long.
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They Aren't the Top of the Food Chain, but Close
As sharks these creatures have few predators, but one of the major ones is several other, larger shark species, including mako and great white sharks. But their major predator is actually sea lions and seals, though they eat only the shark's stomach and liver.
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Pretty Chill for a Shark
In the last 500 years, there have been a total of 13 reported attacks on humans by blue sharks. Of those, only 4 were fatal. However, this does not mean they don't have a penchant for the delicacy of shipwrecked sailors.
They are known to feed on them, and are not timid in nature. Plus their penchant to hunt in packs makes them even more of a potential danger. They often will circle prey for up to 15 minutes, before taking an exploratory nibble of the target.
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They Are Young Wild and Free
Many types of sharks do not do well in captivity. They live much shorter lives, and the blue shark is no exception. They have lived at the longest 7 months in captivity, dying due to stress or various illnesses. Since the average blue shark lives for 20 years in the wild, they are one species that you should not have in your dream aquarium.
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Wolves of the Sea
They eat all sorts of things. Their favorite food is squid for sure, but they also eat shrimp, sea bids, lobster, and even smaller sharks.
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Face to Face
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Now That's a Close Up
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