Page 50 - Shark
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Shark attack
Most sharks are not dangerous
and leave people alone. There
AttAck At seA
Prisoners, escaping from are about 50 to 79 recorded
Devil’s Island off Guyana, shark attacks on people each
are attacked by sharks.
year in the world, with up
to 10 of these being fatal. People are more
likely to die in car accidents or drown in
the sea than be killed by a shark. It is
dangerous to be in water where there may
be sharks: if the water is murky, if you
have cut yourself, or if bait has been
put out for fish. Pay heed to local
shark warning signs and try to swim
in areas designated with shark nets.
Wounded seAl
Elephant seals are what many
great whites on the California
coast like to sink their teeth
into. Unlike people, these
seals have plenty of energy-
rich blubber. The sharks
usually grab their prey from
behind. Sometimes the seal
escapes and manages to
reach the beach before the
shark attacks again.
FAtAl shArk AttAck
Most fatal shark attacks Each year on average 92 greAt White shArk
occur where people surf, people die by drowning in Ever since the Jaws
swim, or scuba dive, and the sea off Australia’s coast … movies, the great white
where there are large has had a reputation as
sharks, like the great a blood-thirsty killer.
white, swimming close to They do attack and kill
shore. Attacks can also … while around eight people, but this may be
occur on people escaping people die from scuba because they mistake
from sinking ships or plane diving accidents … them for their natural
crashes far out to sea. Each prey. Surfers are at risk
year the International near breeding grounds
Shark Attack File … and fewer than of elephant seals and
records the numbers one person dies sea lions, where great
of attacks reported. from a shark attack. whites like to hunt.
Bull shArk
Bull sharks are one of the most dangerous
sharks in the world, along with the great
white and tiger sharks. The bull shark lives
in the warm waters of the world’s oceans. It
is one of the few sharks that spends time
in freshwater, swimming far up rivers
such as South America’s Amazon
WArning sign and Africa’s Zambezi.
To avoid being attacked They can also enter lakes.
by sharks, take note of At 10 ft (3 m) long, they
signs like this Australian are large enough to tackle a
one. Sharks attack people person and are not fussy
wading in shallow water. about what they eat.
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