Since sharks roamed the Earth much before humans existed, they already had a long history when people met them. In several cultures that developed near the coasts, men knew them and even had a respect relationship with sharks.

For the people living in the Pacific islands, the sea is part of their daily life and culture. The ancient islanders had various beliefs about the great creatures of the ocean, and one of them represented the shark as a god who guided sailors and fishers. They also believed that this god was a powerful manifestation of their ancestors and symbolized strength, nobility, and power.

Beliefs have variations according to the region, but they share the conception of deity. In some cultures, it is still a subject that deserves respect. A story known in Hawaii relates the adventure of the goddess Pele, who sailed from her home to the islands in a magic canoe accompanied by the shark god Kamohoali’i just to transport the volcanoes.

The native people of Hawaii were very familiar with sharks. To this culture, sharks are a powerful force that deserves protection. There are many stories and legends among their people that involve sharks. In many of them, sharks are gods that protected the people of Hawaii.

By the year 3000 B.C. The Phoenicians represented in painted pottery beings very similar to sharks attacking a person. Roman historian and naturalist Pliny the Elder (23 A.D. – 79 A.D.) described sharks as creatures that attacked pearl hunters.

It was the Greek philosopher Aristotle who called the sharks “selache,” a name that is still in the superorder that groups the sharks (Selachimorpha). Aristotle explained that the sharks mated together in a way similar to that of dogs, but they joined their bellies.

The Islamic culture was aware of the sharks that inhabited the Tigris River. In his book “The Wonders of Creation and the Curiosities of Existence,” Zakariya Quazwini created a part which included a description of the sharks and the fear they inspired.

Even the Aztecs had knowledge about the danger of sharks. When they went out to the ocean, they placed rows of chilies hanging from their canoes so that sharks did not approach while they were fishing.

In the modern world, they also play a relevant role in our culture. However, the connotations of the word “shark” are not usually good, as they are considered to be extremely dangerous to humans.

SHARKS IN FILMS

The premiere of Steven Spielberg’s film “Jaws” (Jaws, 1975) marked a before and after in the common conception of these fish. The impact of the story of a malevolent, bloodthirsty shark, who ferociously annihilated everything that moved in its path, was massive and still lodged in the collective memory. However, the fear of sharks did not start after the film was released, but it reinforced the feeling although it showed only a small part of the behavior of some species of sharks.

After this shocking representation of sharks is the movie “Jaws” from the 1970’s. Many sequels were made to it as well. This particular film brought the shark into the spotlight for the first time in the minds of many people. However, these movies also evoked terror, and many people though never going back into the ocean after watching the original Jaws movie!

Even for such an early film, Jaws made the shark appear to be very realistic. It was an animatronics shark though and not real sharks. The images were very genuine for the time which made people think of real sharks.

Other movies that have represented sharks are “12 Days of Terror” (Documentary, Jack Sholder 2004), “Deep Blue Sea” (Renny Harlin, 1999), Megalodon (Pat Corbitt, 2002) and the sequels of JAWS.

Since then though some other films have come out that show sharks in a better light. For example, there is one in finding “Nemo” that is trying to be helpful and to change the view others in the ocean have of them. He doesn’t want to be seen as a threat or a predator anymore.

In the fun film Shark Tales, a young shark is embarrassed when his family finds out that he doesn’t care to eat meat. He is a vegetarian. It is a great film about being who you are and not what other people expect you to be.

Not all movies about sharks though are fiction. Some of them are amazing documentaries that bring us closer to shark life than we will ever experience in person.

IN LITERATURE

Some of the books that narrate real or fictional stories about sharks are the source of the film Jaws of Peter Benchley, published in 1974. The author took as the basis the events of the summer of 1916, which terrified the people of the east coast of the United States as result of a series of deadly shark attacks. The novel was very successful and became a best seller.

Benchley wrote another book about sharks, called “White Shark” (1994), which had an adaptation for television, but it did not get the same success than its previous book.

There are more books out there about sharks. Some of them are stories with sharks as fun characters in them. Others are more realistic about the actual species of sharks, and some others are pure fiction.

There are many cultural references, but conceptions change over time. Sometimes it is great to look out and see the world through the eyes of other cultures to have a wider view of the world, and in this case, about these fantastic creatures called sharks.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_tooth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaws_(film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark#In_popular_culture

https://www.amazon.com/White-Shark-Peter-Benchley/dp/0312955731

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When we hear the word “slaughter” we mostly think in pigs or cows. However, there are places created for the processing whale shark meat, where they are cleaned, cut into pieces and took their body oil for commercial purposes.

Each year, this places process about 600 whale sharks in China. In this issue, besides from the whale shark, other species of shark are included such as the basking shark, the blue shark, and the great white shark.

They use most body parts for different purposes. They use the fins in soups, and other dishes considered a delicacy and highly priced because of the belief of unconfirmed health properties. The meat is useful in the cuisine of several dishes; teeth are raw material for making crafts that are very attractive to tourists, and the cartilage and oil are components of various medicinal products supposedly with great qualities but

The whale shark is under legal protection throughout the world, but some countries, do not enforce such laws, and the situation seems to be uncontrolled. Japan, for example, is a constant target of environmentalist groups because of the crimes committed against many animal species, especially dolphins, and whales.

To understand why hunting a whale shark is an attractive and profitable business, it is enough to mention that from a single shark, the owners of fishing companies can make up to $ 30,000 USD and there will always be customers. But at what price do they do all this? The whale shark population is just a bit more than seven thousand individuals, not hundreds of thousands, or millions, a reason why this situation is alarming. They got an endangered status in the latest assessment of 2016 in the IUCN (Red List of Threatened Species) but in the short term, their condition could get even worse.

There are reports made by brave investigators posing as customers, who obtained the information to expose them. An example of this was a team of National Geographic in a region of China. This investigation was a work of three years since they first had to gain the confidence of the supplier not to cause any suspicions that could jeopardize their safety. In the video these researchers were able to capture with a hidden camera, the owner of a processing facility of fish oil, explaining freely about the large amounts of oil that are exported annually to different developed countries.

Environmental organizations operate day and night to eradicate this problem, but the participation of society is essential and pressuring on governments to not leave this as an unresolved issue. It may seem very far from us, or we might even think that there are more important things for which to protest, but this can affect us in many ways shortly.

We can help propagate this type of information that we do not see it ever in the news. However, the best way we can help is not buying products that come from the slaughter of these animals.

Sources:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140129-whale-shark-endangered-cites-ocean-animals-conservation/

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/factory-china-slaughtering-estimated-600-endangered-whale-sharks-every-year-180949539/

BioExpedition Publishing © 2017.

THE CHALLENGES OF THE CAPTIVITY

The shark species most wanted by aquariums is the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), which has awakened the fear and fascination since its representation (exaggerated) in the 1975 film JAWS. The reality is that attempts to keep them in a huge tank in front of hundreds of curious eyes have not been very successful. In general, large species such as the Carcharodon carcharias are difficult to catch and transport. Their sharp senses are disturbed with the use of structures and machines, to take them out of the water, their weight can damage their organs while carrying them, because their cartilaginous skeleton does not provide the support needed for transport.

Besides, if an aquarium wants a great white shark in their tanks, it must fit a space large enough and adequate to its needs. The life of a shark in an aquarium also includes satisfying its feeding needs.

It is very expensive to keep sharks in captivity which is also another reason why they often aren’t found in aquariums. They require saltwater tanks with an enough room to move around, and they consume large amounts of food daily.

In 2004, the Monterey Bay Aquarium managed to condition a space for a great white shark, and it stayed there for six months, after which it was released back into its natural habitat. The attempt was made for the first time in 1980 when the same aquarium kept an individual of the same species in captivity but unfortunately died after 11 days at the facilities. That time the conditions were not adequately met.

To guarantee an optimal life development in captivity, it is important that aquariums or any place that keep sharks fulfill these conditions:

1. Sharks can move comfortably during their transportation to their next habitat.

2. Sharks natural movements and reactions are not limited or restricted. Some shark species like the great white shark are susceptible to stress if they do not execute physical activities.

3. The tank that houses the shark should be adequate and free of obstacles that hinder any of its movements.

4. The environment should not have human artifacts, machines or tools that stimulate their sense of electroreception.

UNFORTUNATE CASES

Although some small species are prone to survive in aquariums, it is dangerous to use small places to exhibit or keep them. There have been cases of people selling sharks illegally to people who do not have the skills to keep a shark alive and healthy. Sometimes, when the young ones grow, space can become more limited, and those who own them are forced to make some adverse decisions for the animals, such as their release into the sea without previously experienced life in the wild.

Sharks are not domestic animals, so their care is more special than dogs cats or ornament fish. Keeping an individual involves an enormous investment of time and money and requires the knowledge about their life and care. Therefore it is an important responsibility.

PROSPECTS OF A LIFE IN CAPTIVITY.

Captivity is not an ideal condition for any animal, but this view changes when it comes to threatened species. In the case of sharks, many of them face serious dangers, and it is important to take measures to protect and preserve such species.

Life in captivity may be favorable to their survival to some degree. For example, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has made efforts to provide information on the species and it is a pioneer in exhibiting white sharks. However, some organizations disagree with the latter practice, and the aquarium has not keep white sharks again.

If there is an advantage of having sharks within human limits, it is the possibility to investigate their biological, physiological and health conditions that allow an assessment and subsequent establishment of conservation measures for the affected species. However, many experts agree that sharks in captivity don’t follow the usual behavior that they would in the wild. Therefore observing them in captivity to learn about how their life in the wild isn’t very useful at all.

It should not be forgotten that sharks are not “made” to live indoors. They need space and freedom like all animals. If it is not strictly useful for the survival of the species, do not support its captivity.

Sources:

www.peta.org/blog/great-white-shark-dies-after-just-three-days-in-aquarium/

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/experience/explore/programs-activities/animal-interactions/journey-with-gentle-giants/swim-with-whale-sharks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharks_in_captivity

BioExpedition Publishing © 2017.

The relationship between humans and sharks has so far been very superficial in most cases. Except for researchers, scientists, divers or anyone who has to do work or activities with them, most of the society only has contact with sharks in aquariums or protected areas.

Perhaps this contributes to the deteriorating image of them. It is the same thing that happens to people who do not know each other personally: what we hear about them provides information and creates a mental image of their personality, but nothing is real until we interact very closely with those people and know them.

However, we have to agree that the perception of a white shark, a tiger shark or a whale shark can make most people nervous. Under normal conditions, a shark does not attack people for pleasure, so there is no alarming reason to fear all species, although a few of them are aggressive by nature.

FREQUENT INTERACTIONS.

It is not common to have contact with benthic sharks because it is unlikely that we access the seabed area. Usually, we know pelagic sharks either in aquariums or conservation zones. Many countries have some and depending on the season; it is easier to have sightings nearby the coast.

In several countries, it is possible to go to shark breeding sites. Tourists have an excellent opportunity to watch them and even have access to swim with harmless species, such as the impressive whale shark, making the moment a unique experience in life. Such experience gives them the possibility of obtaining direct information about the life of these fish, discarding myths and learning the truth.

The people who most interact with sharks are, of course, divers. Professionals or not, thanks to them, information flows continuously, and many investigations and experiences are constant which allow us to know more and more about the life of sharks.

A study published in early 2001 by Prof. Erich K. Ritter of the University of Hofstra reveals valuable data about the intelligence of sharks and their ability to communicate not only with their own but also with humans.

According to the observed interactions between divers and sharks, they send signals when they encounter a person. A shark can react to the movements of others and demonstrate a specific body language about such movements. This study intends to interpret the signals to establish methods that allow a safe contact and with minimum risks for both parties.

IMPLICATIONS.

Human contact with sharks must be limited. While most people are afraid to meet one of these animals as considering them meat-eating machines, the reality is that they are threatened by over-fishing and destruction of their habitat. Likewise, tourism has alarmed many environmentalists, who debate the physical and emotional consequences on sharks (stress, fear, migrations, etc.).

Humans are an important cause of the reduction of their population and the false beliefs about them. Ironically, we got some theoretical knowledge from sharks. Some research on how their body works has helped us to understand the functioning of the human body and build future goals related to health and well-being.

The shark-human relationship does not have to be problematic. The improvement of this relationship reveals the need for truthful information about the life and conditions of the sharks, as well as the respect they deserve like any other important species of our planet.

Sources:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/forget-jaws-now-its-brains-48249580/

http://sharkopedia.discovery.com/shark-topics/shark-intelligence-and-behavior/

BioExpedition Publishing © 2017.

Research on sharks has allowed knowing from their origin and evolution to the applications that they have in different ambits of the human life. Everything related to sharks is a positive aspect of the interaction with the species.

It is tough to know about the beginning of the research, but it seems that the oldest casual investigations date back to the time of the Renaissance when people assumed that the fossils of the large teeth embedded in the rocks came from dragons or snakes.

From the sixteenth century arose a deep interest in life and natural history. From then on many people dedicated themselves to the study of these subjects and they were called naturalists. One of them, Nicolaus Steno, discarded the Renaissance idea about dragons teeth and recognized them as shark teeth in 1667.

Today, research on sharks is widely branched out in the following aspects:

– Evolution of sharks.
– Discovery and study of new species.
– Biology of sharks.
– Applications to human life from the knowledge of their anatomy, physiology, behavior, etc.

Conservation of Sharks.

The most significant change in research over this time has been its funding and the purpose of performing it. While naturalists used to work on their own, on behalf of individuals or supported by a few patrons, today researchers constitute a large group that works according to scientific goals and a rigorous methodology.

Governmental, non-governmental organizations and entire countries are keen to know animals deeply. It is standard practice for some governments to establish research departments on flora and fauna that is within the boundaries of their territory. Many organizations are best known for supporting and funding research for conservation, and researchers often work in educational institutions as well.

Every year new theories emerge explaining matters before ununderstandable and thus the gap between sharks and humans shrinks. Here below there is some of the most recent research:

In 2001, Dr. Erich K. Ritter (Shark Research Institute) conducted research on the behavior of sharks in the presence of divers and communicative signs based on body language. Accordingly, sharks have reactions derived from the contact with humans and can communicate them.

In 2004, the Department of Environment of the Government of Australia conducted research on the local population in Queensland of the species Carcharias taurus to estimate the impact of diving and by-catch activities regarding the species Recovery Plan.

In 2013, the state of Hawaii, United States, commissioned a group of investigators to study the causes of the five shark attacks that happened that year, a number that accounts for half of all attacks nationwide.

In 2014, based on research from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) live longer than previously thought. The longevity of males is estimated at 73 years, while that of the females is only 40 years.

Despite the amount of research done in recent years, there are still gaps that need to be filled. It is unfortunate that there isn’t any information about how many species of sharks there are and no data on their population is known. In fact, some sharks are still unknown to people in general. There is also a shortage of information about their behavior, essential to remove many myths that exist about their ferocity.

Research is necessary for understanding sharks. It is time to know them and, if possible, support their survival.

Sources:

http://www.sharkschool.org/about.html

https://www.dpc.wa.gov.au/Consultation/Documents/Appendix%2014%20A%20Report%20on%20the%20Queensland%20Shark%20Safety%20Program.pdf

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/131203-science-shark-attack-hawaii-maui-fisherman-surfer-tiger-australia-bite-ocean/

www.discovery.com/tv-shows/shark-week/about-this-show/why-do-sharks-attack/

BioExpedition Publishing © 2017.