Page 64 - Shark

Save the shark!

Sharks have a bad reputation as blood-
thirsty killers. But only a few kinds of
shark are dangerous (pp. 48–49) and attacks
on people are rare. Other animals like
tigers, and even elephants, which
also occasionally kill people, are
more popular. People need to be
concerned about sharks because
Mad on sharks they are increasingly threatened
This crazy sculpture of by overfishing (pp. 58–59). Some
a blue shark on the roof
of a house near Oxford, sharks, like lemon sharks in
England, shows just
how much some people Florida, also suffer because of
like sharks. the destruction of mangrove
swamps, which are important
nurseries for their pups. To begin to like sharks,
people need to learn all about them. By
visiting an aquarium, everyone can see
the grace and beauty of sharks. Good
swimmers can learn to snorkel and
scuba dive, and may be lucky enough
to see sharks in the sea. In some parts
of California scuba divers are taken on
trips to specific places where they can
observe truly wild sharks.

Making sketches of
various sharks in
an aquarium

Tanks for The view
Seeing sharks come within inches of your nose is a great thrill, even
if there is a glass wall in between (right). Not all kinds of shark can
be kept in aquariums. Smaller sharks, such as smooth-hounds
(pp. 14–15) are the easiest. However, as aquariums are getting larger
tanks and becoming more skilled at handling sharks, more unusual
species are on view. The
Okinawa Churaumi
Aquarium in Japan
keeps whale sharks, and
young great white sharks
are sometimes keep in the
Monterey Bay Aquarium,
in California.

Face to face with a shark
(right) and feeding time at
the aquarium (far right)

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