1. 66 | November•2015 November•2015 | 67
Shark count: The more than 500 species
range from the 20cm dwarf lantern shark to the
12-18m whale shark. A quarter of shark species
are now in danger of extinction.
by hazel FLYNN
the basics: Sharks live in every ocean in the
world, and some species can also survive in freshwater
rivers and lakes. No-one knows the size of the world
shark population for certain, but best estimates put it
at around 1.5 billion. In addition to our five senses they
have electro-reception, allowing them to detect the
small electrical fields generated when muscles move:
the bigger the movement (eg, the flopping of a
wounded creature), the stronger the signal.
Homo sapiens
evolved
190,000 years ago
Now
Sharks evolved
400m years
ago
Dinosaurs
evolved 240m
years ago
How Dangerous Are They?
From 2005 to 2014, sharks made 701
recorded attacks on humans. Of
these, 59 or 8% were fatal, with most
occurring in the US (409 attacks,
6 fatal) but Australia recording
the most fatalities (123 attacks,
15 fatal).
Their ability to detect smells
in water is a tad overhyped,
but it’s still impressive. New
research shows they can’t
detect a drop of blood diluted
in the equivalent of an Olympic-
sized swimming pool – but they
could in a backyard-sized pool.
And their nostrils operate
separately so they can precisely
pinpoint the direction of a smell’s
origin.
Humans kill perhaps 100 million sharks a
year, with fished species including porbeagle,
angel shark, spiny dogfish and gummy shark.
The real number might be much higher because
of shark finning. Tens of millions are taken purely
for their fins – often cut off the still-living animal,
which is then dumped back in the sea to drown or
be eaten alive by predators it can no longer evade.
instant answers
photos:(fanning)gettyimages;thinkstock
Sharks
“We’reintheirdomainandit’s
likegoingintoalion’scage.If
youjumpinthecagethen
onedayyournumber’s
gonnacomeup.”
Mick Fanning, Australian surfer
after escaping a shark attack
WHY are the
Fins TAKEN?
Shark-fin soup has
been a high-status
delicacy in China for a
millennium. A growing
Asian middle-class
greatly increased
demand, but in recent
years conservation
campaigning, trade
bans in various
countries, and the
flow-on effects from a
2012 Chinese
government austerity
ban on serving the
soup at official
functions significantly
reduced that demand.
There’s still a way to
go, however.
Percentage of shark
population killed by
humans annually, on
average.
Percentage of human
population killed by
sharks annually, on
average.
Tweets about comedy-
horror telemovie
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell
No! on its July 2015
premiere.
How Can I Reduce my Risks? Don’t swim, dive or surf alone; don’t
swim in murky water; don’t assume the presence of dolphins or porpoises means
sharks are absent; don’t wear shiny jewellery – light reflecting off it can resemble
fish scales; avoid the water at dusk, dawn and night, when sharks are more active
and hard to spot; and avoid schooling fish or where people are fishing.
7%
0.00000008%
2billion
“Mosquitoeskill50,000timesas
manypeople[assharks],butif
there’saTVchannelthatfeatures
MosquitoWeek,Ihaven’theard
aboutit.”
Bill Gates, philanthropist entrepreneur