Sharks have a fearsome reputation as man hunters, but more people are killed by falling coconuts than sharks!
Read on for more shark facts!
1# Sharks have prowled the waters for over 400 million years.
2# There are many breeds of sharks. The most well-known are: Bull shark, Great White shark, Hammerhead shark, Nurse shark, Sand Tiger shark, Tiger shark & Whale shark.
3# The largest shark on record was a Whale shark. It reached up to 46ft.
4# The smallest shark on record was a Dwarf Lantern shark. It reached 6 inches.
5# The heaviest shark on record was a Whale shark. It weighed 13.6tonnes.
6# The Shortfin Mako shark is the fastest shark in the world.
7# Young sharks eat their own teeth when they are born.
8# All sharks have triangular serrated teeth to kill their prey with.
9# Many sharks are solitary hunters and will only merge with groups when it is breeding season or for migration.
10# Many sharks are “finned” (slicing the top dorsal fin from the body) to make soup in Asian countries.
11# Great White sharks belong to the Mackerel shark family.
12# The Great White shark is the largest flesh-eating shark.
13# It is capable of jumping up to 2m out of the water when hunting prey.
14# 48% of hunts by a Great White, end in a kill.
15# A Great White’s diet consists mainly of seals, sea lions, fish, and small dolphins.
16# A female Great White can have up to ten young.
17# They have been known to attack humans, and often mistake them for seals.
18# Tiger sharks attack their prey from below, and drag them down, drowning them.
19# Tiger sharks prefer warm, salty waters to inhabit.
20# They have a striped back, which is useful for camouflage.
21# A female Tiger shark can have up to eighty-two young.
22# In 1935, a Tiger shark was taken into captivity by an Australian zoo. Days later, it regurgitated a tattooed arm. It was found that the arm belonged to a murder victim. Using the remaining DNA, it led the police to capture the murderer.
23# The eyes of a Hammerhead shark are at either end of the “hammer”.
24# The “hammer” prevents the shark from nose-diving when swimming.
25# A female Hammerhead can have up to forty young.
26# In 1974, Peter Benchley had a book published, which told of a Great White shark that terrorised a small coastal town. It was entitled, Jaws.
27# In 1975, Jaws became a film of the same name, by Steven Spielberg. It spawned four sequels.
28# The film was so successful a ride was opened at Universal Pictures. It took people for a ride around Amity Harbour, the site of shark attacks. During the ride, the boat is “attacked” by a Great White shark.