Most people unfortunately are afraid of
sharks and actually stray away from the ocean due to the fear of being attacked
by a shark; But just how likely is it that a shark will actually bite
you? Well, over five years (2006-2010), an average of 4.2 fatal
shark attacks took place each year worldwide, while icicles killed 100
people per year just in Russia. So why are people so freaked out by
sharks?
The major reason people are so afraid of sharks is the media;
hollywood films such as Jaws portrayed sharks as monstrous
creatures, who's main goal in life is to kill people.
This picture the media has painted couldn't be further from the truth. Another
reason people fear sharks is due to how sharks look physically.
Ants kill almost 6 times as many people as sharks do a year.
Most people have heard the saying dogs are a mans
best friend, yet dogs kill 34 people each year in the U.S alone. Even things
such as falling out of bed take many more lives than shark attacks. (Falling out of bed kills 450 people annually in the U.S.)
Are you scared to buy snacks from the vending
machine, over the fear of them falling on you? Well, you should be if you’re
scared of being killed by a shark. Vending machines kill about three times as many people a year than shark attacks. (Vending machines kill 10-13 people a
year.)
Sharks are amazing animals; they are one of the
oldest creatures to inhabit the planet and are essential in the marine food
web. So instead of being afraid of them, enjoy their presence and wonder and
the next time you get scared about going swimming in the ocean remember you
shouldn’t be.
The real threat is humans. "For every one human
killed by a shark, there are approximately 25 million sharks killed by humans"2.
Education is the key to protecting our planet and the amazing organisms
that we share it with.
References:
1. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Sharks/ISAF/ISAF.htm
2. http://oceana.org/en/our-work/protect-marine-wildlife/sharks/learn-act/shark-attack-statistics
Written by Cody Miller; B.S in Marine
Biology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa
No comments:
Post a Comment