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by Alex
Do sharks really attack humans on purpose or is it because of other reasons. There are different opinions on the subject, but what do you think? Answer that question before you read the rest of this post. Shark attacks do happen and people need to be aware of it, but not as humans make it out to be. Bees, wasps, and snakes are responsible for far more deaths each year than sharks (source).
There are three major kinds of unprovoked shark attacks. The most common are “hit and run” attacks. These occur in zones where there are many swimmers. The shark mistakes the human for something else and usually only bites once and then realizes it was wrong and does not return. Splashing, colored swimsuits, jewelry, and soles of the feet mixed with break surf and strong currents make it hard for the shark to realize what they are attacking. A shark must make quick decisions and quick movements to capture food. Most of the time the shark just mistakes the human for its normal prey. These attacks are seldom life threatening.
The next kind of attack is a “bump and bite” and “sneak” attacks. These are less common, and result in greater injuries and most deaths. This occurs in deeper waters usually and the shark circles the human to see what it is and bumps the victim before the attack. Repeated attacks are not uncommon, but this is a rare attack case. This is usually the result of feeding or antagonistic behaviors instead of mistaken identities (source).
Even though this is unlikely to occur here is a list of some safety precautions to take when going to the beach. Always stay in groups because sharks attack individuals more often, avoid being in the water during darkness, do not enter the water if bleeding, do not weary shiny jewelry because the reflected light looks like scales of a fish, and avoid constant splashing. There are just some of the safety precautions when in the water (source).
After seeing that video in class where they put the man into the clear tank and waited to see if a shark attacked and it didn’t that changed my view of sharks. Did that change your view on sharks and the commonness of them attacking humans? Why and when do you think sharks got this image of being human eating animals?
Check out this cool clip of sharks and human interactions. There are over 400 different types of sharks and most of them are not vicious. The video (#4 located on the sidebar) shows the interaction between humans and sharks.