Give me five minutes to change the way you look at sharks forever

Credit: Syd Sujaan

In the last 50 years, things have gotten out of control. With a rise in population, and the advent of mass production, one of the most exploited areas of our world are the oceans.

Going into the depths of the importance of the ocean is a story for itself. Suffice to say though that if you ever thought that the rain forest was important for our worlds oxygen production, think again, as around 2/3 of the global oxygen production stems from the world’s oceans.

And the ocean, like any kingdom, will fail without its king.

One of the most affected inhabitants of the ocean as a result of our actions is the king of the seas himself, the shark. And the ocean, like any kingdom, will fail without its king. The shark plays a crucial role in the upkeep of the oceans. As the apex predator, it is their responsibility to clean up the ocean, by acting as a population control keeping in check the delicate balance of the underwater Eco-system.

To be scared of sharks is only natural. Fear is a tool nature gave us in order for us to survive, and in fact, I think there would probably be something wrong with you if the presence of one of the most highly developed predators in the world wouldn’t make your heart race. The way the media has put a spin on things though is beyond any rationality.

It started quite innocently, with the classic Steven Spielberg movie Jaws. Before the movie aired it was not the case that the shark battled the dog for the position of mans best friend, but rather there was a sort of passive respect similar to that for a tiger or the polar bear. The success of the movie resulted in instilling on viewers the idea of the shark as vengeful creatures, out to hunt humans. So much so, that years later the author of the original novel on which Jaws was based, Peter Benchley, came to regret the impact it had on sharks. An activist for shark conservation and education in his later life, he came to state that if he would re-write the book, he would make the shark the victim, not the human.

To argue then that the traditional image of sharks is a misconception would be an understatement. The image of a solitary hunter applies only to a few sharks, as most sharks are highly social and intelligent, with a body to brain mass ration similar to mammals. As to the concept of shark attacks, the whole terminology has been found to be largely misinforming. Playing on the fears of the readers, and in the knowledge of the attention sharks, news outlets are fast to sensationalise contact between sharks and humans, with information on their endangered status and positive experience taking the back-foot.

Surfers and divers are usually the biggest advocates for their preservation.

Credit: Jakob Owens

When looking at the actual numbers, however, they tell a different story. Of the over 400 shark species in the world, only 4 of them have been involved in unprovoked attacks. As to the actual chance of being killed by a shark, well it is 1000 times more likely that a Fresh Water Snail will be the cause of your death. And if all those numbers mean nothing to you, then just think about the fact that the people who should have most reason to fear sharks due to constant exposure, surfers and divers, are usually the biggest advocates for their preservation.

In order to combat the issue surrounding the ever decreasing number of sharks, the first and most important step starts in our head. In the next week, you will see a great amount of footage about sharks. That is due to an annual, week long segment on Discovery Channel called shark week. Since 1988 it is the longest running cable television program in the world, and it is dedicated to bringing more awareness to these amazing creatures. The global threat to sharks, however, doesn’t stop when the TV shuts off.

So what can you do? First of all, don’t buy any products with shark fins, and where suitable encourage your friends who enjoy it to go for one of the alternatives out of gelatine, particularly as the fin itself adds no flavour or medicinal benefit. Next, look for products, like lip stick and face cream which don’t have squalene, which is often made out of shark liver. Finally, and most importantly, keep an open mind about sharks beyond shark week, and learn to appreciate them for the amazing animals that they are.


About the author

Simon Schneider is a co-founder of , a bracelet company trying to help sharks with their bad image by having people share their positive shark encounters. If you like shark stories, this might be for you.

Age of Awareness

Stories providing creative, innovative, and sustainable changes to the education system

Simon Markus Schneider

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Age of Awareness

Stories providing creative, innovative, and sustainable changes to the education system

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