Page 67 - World of Animals - Book of Sharks & Ocean Predators

Steve Backshall
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BITING BACK
A VOICE FOR WILDLIFE

TV presenter and wildlife enthusiast, Steve Backshall, speaks out for
sharks in a bid to help save this misunderstood predator

From within the gloomy deep-blue, an alien form glinted shark set to terrorise British beaches. It got even more
and glimmered. I hung motionless above the seabed, frenzied with the outlandish speculation that ‘Lydia’ (the
barely even daring to breathe in case my expelled bubbles satellite-tagged shark heading across the Atlantic in our
spooked the ethereal shape just beyond my gaze. Then, direction) could be pregnant. She could bring a whole new
languidly, lazily, the metallic torpedo shape turned towards clan of man-eaters to our shores!
me, and started to come into focus. The shark was The story fizzled out as Lydia nosed south towards more
perhaps four metres long, half of which was made up by familiar waters, perhaps off towards the Mediterranean,
a scimitar-shaped tail that trailed behind it like a silver but the hysteria had already exposed the British public’s
banner in the breeze. Its large eyes were billiard ball black, lack of awareness of the wildlife that inhabits our
the whole form of the fish seemed cloaked in aluminium surrounding seas. Though great whites may be rare visitors
foil. As its mirror flanks sinuously twisted side to side, it to our waters, they have never stayed long enough to be
caught the early morning light, and suddenly the thresher caught or identified here. However, many people will be
shark was revealed in all its bizarre, brilliant glory. It was surprised to know that we do have at least 50 species
one of the most overwhelming wildlife encounters I’ve ever of sharks in British seas. Unfortunately, ignorance of our
had, with a shark we have right here in British waters. marine environments and an ‘out of sight out of mind’
Last spring the UK’s tabloids frothed at the mind with mentality has allowed sharks to be pillaged on a scale that
every editor’s fantasy story; a man-eating great white is beyond comprehension.

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