With the blog's second birthday party just over, this was the best way to celebrate. Thank you to everyone for a terrific two years of shark facts. There will certainly be many more to come.
Wednesday, 29 October 2014
5,000 Views!!
Thank you to everyone who has helped to bring SHARK NEWS an astounding 5,000 all time views!
With the blog's second birthday party just over, this was the best way to celebrate. Thank you to everyone for a terrific two years of shark facts. There will certainly be many more to come.
With the blog's second birthday party just over, this was the best way to celebrate. Thank you to everyone for a terrific two years of shark facts. There will certainly be many more to come.
Sunday, 26 October 2014
The Carribean Reef Shark
The Carribean reef shark is found, unsurprisingly, throughout the Carribean and also along the Western coastlines of Mexico and Brazil, where the can find a plentiful supply of rays and fish to feed on. A Carribean reef shark can grow up to three metres long and are stocky, powerful fish, alike to many other reef sharks.
These sharks are territorial, although not so much as their fellow reef dwellers, the silvertip sharks. However, they will constantly patrol an area of a reef, defying another shark or large sea creature to come too close to it.
Although they are generally indifferent to the divers and snorkelers who visit their reef homes, these sharks have a tendency to be easily aggravated. There are a series of telltale signs that a carribean reef shark is feeling threatened by a diver.
Firstly, it will begin to arch its back. It will repeatedly do this for several seconds before the diver either goes away or stays, making it progress to the second stage of aggressive behaviour.
If the diver does not retreat to a further distance, the shark will begin to thrash its tail excessively. As to when you judge excessive thrashing, it will invariably occur after the arching of the back.
Next, the shark will open its mouth to show its teeth. Evidently, this is a sign that tells any diver to leave the area. This action is typical of most large sharks when they feel threatened or anxious.
At this point, it is imperative that, as a diver, you have moved away, as the next step is for the shark to swim rapidly in the aggressor's direction. Some will pull away at the last minute and repeat this, although others may make contact with the diver - usually their tail will make the contact - and there have been several instances of such contact resulting in concussion.
The majority of Carribean reef shark encounters occur in coastal waters, due to the fact that only very few venture into the open ocean. As relatively small sharks, such an action could be suicidal should they encounter a great white, tiger or bull shark - all of which can be found in such areas.
As is typical with reef dwelling sharks, Carribean reef sharks hunt at night, sometimes in small groups. They feed mainly on rays, of which there are many species that live on reefs, and large fish. Groupers are notably one of the favourite foods of this species, although the saying "the hunters are the hunted" is applicable in such a case, as many groupers grow to such awe-inspiring size that they are able to swallow a shark whole.
These sharks are territorial, although not so much as their fellow reef dwellers, the silvertip sharks. However, they will constantly patrol an area of a reef, defying another shark or large sea creature to come too close to it.
Although they are generally indifferent to the divers and snorkelers who visit their reef homes, these sharks have a tendency to be easily aggravated. There are a series of telltale signs that a carribean reef shark is feeling threatened by a diver.
Firstly, it will begin to arch its back. It will repeatedly do this for several seconds before the diver either goes away or stays, making it progress to the second stage of aggressive behaviour.
If the diver does not retreat to a further distance, the shark will begin to thrash its tail excessively. As to when you judge excessive thrashing, it will invariably occur after the arching of the back.
Next, the shark will open its mouth to show its teeth. Evidently, this is a sign that tells any diver to leave the area. This action is typical of most large sharks when they feel threatened or anxious.
At this point, it is imperative that, as a diver, you have moved away, as the next step is for the shark to swim rapidly in the aggressor's direction. Some will pull away at the last minute and repeat this, although others may make contact with the diver - usually their tail will make the contact - and there have been several instances of such contact resulting in concussion.
The majority of Carribean reef shark encounters occur in coastal waters, due to the fact that only very few venture into the open ocean. As relatively small sharks, such an action could be suicidal should they encounter a great white, tiger or bull shark - all of which can be found in such areas.
As is typical with reef dwelling sharks, Carribean reef sharks hunt at night, sometimes in small groups. They feed mainly on rays, of which there are many species that live on reefs, and large fish. Groupers are notably one of the favourite foods of this species, although the saying "the hunters are the hunted" is applicable in such a case, as many groupers grow to such awe-inspiring size that they are able to swallow a shark whole.
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| A carribean reef shark patrolling its territory on a reef. |
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| The range of the Carribean reef shark. |
How Can We Save Sharks?
When people talk of the sea, they will speculate over what creature is most dangerous within it. Killer whales? Chevron barracuda? Belcher sea snakes? Even tuna and dolphins are dangerous in their own right.
Time and time again, the answer ends at "shark", or more specifically, "the great white shark". This overwhelmingly common misconception has driven people to fear of such fascinating creatures. How is it possible for those who are dedicated to sharks to alter the majorities' perception of these glorious animals as the scourge of the sea?
But this is far from the most absurd aspect of the perception. What is is the following: people know that sharks are not the cold blooded killers they have many times been portrayed as. People know that they are more likely to be struck by lightning than be attacked by a shark. And yet, many still refuse to alter their misguided perceptions. The abhorrent description of sharks in the aforementioned manner has struck them to the bone with sheer terror.
The far spread knowledge of sharks is often rejected by those who do not want to listen; by those too scared and too foolish to change before it is too late, and the sharks have left our oceans, have been eradicated from our seas.
Why is it that people can not change?
This mountain is one the human race must overcome together; this mountain is one the human race have to climb. The time for evading the situation, the time for walking around the mountain instead of scaling it, is over. Together, we must face up to the problem and defeat it before the worst comes.
It is not unimaginable that some of those who read this will be confused as to how people can "evade" the situation. The following quotation is from Aaron MacNeil of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, interviewed by the BBC on the subject of Hákarl, an Arctic delicacy made of Greenland shark.
All said, it is true that many people and governments are slowly making amends to humanities errors: Barrack Obama, President of the United States of America recently ordered the protection of 490,000 square miles of ocean between Hawaii and American Samoa. This protects the vast area from fishing and extraction of sea minerals. Due to its location, this marine reserve, originally pioneered by President George Bush in 2009, will protect hundred of thousands, if not millions of sharks, spanning multitudes of species.
This admirable memorandum is a step along the path to save sharks. A small step, it is true, on a long path which will force its walkers to climb a great many mountains, but then, the late Neil Armstrong's motivational words as he became the first human ever to step on the moon:
If every person in the world could make an effort, no matter how small, human kind could soon fix what it has broken over centuries of abusing the oceans and, moreover, the sharks within them.
Time and time again, the answer ends at "shark", or more specifically, "the great white shark". This overwhelmingly common misconception has driven people to fear of such fascinating creatures. How is it possible for those who are dedicated to sharks to alter the majorities' perception of these glorious animals as the scourge of the sea?
But this is far from the most absurd aspect of the perception. What is is the following: people know that sharks are not the cold blooded killers they have many times been portrayed as. People know that they are more likely to be struck by lightning than be attacked by a shark. And yet, many still refuse to alter their misguided perceptions. The abhorrent description of sharks in the aforementioned manner has struck them to the bone with sheer terror.
The far spread knowledge of sharks is often rejected by those who do not want to listen; by those too scared and too foolish to change before it is too late, and the sharks have left our oceans, have been eradicated from our seas.
Why is it that people can not change?
This mountain is one the human race must overcome together; this mountain is one the human race have to climb. The time for evading the situation, the time for walking around the mountain instead of scaling it, is over. Together, we must face up to the problem and defeat it before the worst comes.
It is not unimaginable that some of those who read this will be confused as to how people can "evade" the situation. The following quotation is from Aaron MacNeil of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, interviewed by the BBC on the subject of Hákarl, an Arctic delicacy made of Greenland shark.
"It probably won't catch on enough to threaten the species."In the case of Hákarl, this is likely to be true, as this food is considered by many as the most disgusting nourishment on the planet. However, such statements are made, and have been made, many a time by those who underestimate the danger sharks face this very day. This is the meaning of "evasion". The failure to accept that the human race was wrong and still is. Not only that, but it is the failure to make action towards helping this necessary cause, and the failure to want to as well.
All said, it is true that many people and governments are slowly making amends to humanities errors: Barrack Obama, President of the United States of America recently ordered the protection of 490,000 square miles of ocean between Hawaii and American Samoa. This protects the vast area from fishing and extraction of sea minerals. Due to its location, this marine reserve, originally pioneered by President George Bush in 2009, will protect hundred of thousands, if not millions of sharks, spanning multitudes of species.
This admirable memorandum is a step along the path to save sharks. A small step, it is true, on a long path which will force its walkers to climb a great many mountains, but then, the late Neil Armstrong's motivational words as he became the first human ever to step on the moon:
"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."It was but a small step. But it triggered dozens more successful moon landings and has inspired people to this day. The one small step made by Barrack Obama could also trigger inspiration of such a fashion, and if it does, a bright, glistening future for sharks could be well within humanity's reach.
If every person in the world could make an effort, no matter how small, human kind could soon fix what it has broken over centuries of abusing the oceans and, moreover, the sharks within them.
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