By Geoff “Big Kahuna” Geist, founder Shark OFF
Here at Shark OFF, we tackle many questions surrounding some of the ocean’s most fierce predators. We are used to the “how’s”- How do sharks think? How can we protect the ocean and its inhabitants? How does our proven shark repellent work?
Now we’re going to dive into the “why’s”.
In order to take action and effectively protect sharks, we have to know what makes them tick! Why do they come close to the shore? Why do (and don’t) they bite humans? Why are they a vital part of the ocean’s ecosystem?
Let’s find out!
Why do sharks come to shallow waters?
It’s becoming evident that sharks are hanging out with humans in shallow waters more frequently than we ever knew! With the new usage of drones flying over beaches, many videos are going viral with footage of sharks coming mere meters from swimmers and surfers.
“We have a lot of footage and anecdotal evidence of sharks swimming around where humans play, and as long as people aren’t harassing them, the sharks just don’t care,” says Chris Lowe, professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University at Long Beach.
But why come so close to pesky humans? A recent study by the State Division of Marine Fisheries, Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and Arizona State University researchers revealed that sharks visiting Cape Cod spend nearly half their time in shallow waters. They tracked eight great white sharks and found that 47% of their time was spent in water that was less than fifteen feet deep!
The biggest motivation being the seals that live close to the shore. Sharks risk beaching themselves for the reward of a tasty, blubbery meal. Bull sharks in particular prefer hunting in shallow waters. Using theirsignature “bump and bite” technique, bull sharks benefit from murky shallow waters where their sense of smell takes precedence over their poor eyesight.
Another reason sharks swim into human infested waters could be the temperature, as sharks (especially great whites) enjoy the warm temperatures in the shallow end. The good news is that they are much more likely to come close to the shore at dusk and dawn when they have the visual advantage of superior eyesight over seals.
Your afternoon beach picnic should be unencumbered by sharp toothed friends- but make sure you’re wearing Shark OFF just in case!
Why is it important to protect sharks?
With the help of hundreds of ocean conservation organizations across the globe, sharks’ reputations are being restored. Especially here at Shark OFF, we know that explaining why sharks are important is like preaching to the choir! But do you know exactly how vital these amazing creatures are? Oceana released a report in July 2008, “Predators as Prey: Why Healthy Oceans Need Sharks”, illustrating our need to protect sharks. In this report, Oceana goes from Alaska to Australia, explaining what healthy ocean ecosystems look like and how different sharks function in different oceans.
Sharks are apex predators, which means they’re the top of the food chain and have a broad diet. This both keeps prey populations in check, but also controls the “spatial distribution” of prey through intimidation. Basically, species will adapt to shark populations by altering their habitat use and activity level, leading to equal distribution of resources and a more diverse species population.
Moving over to the Atlantic Ocean, great sharks (sharks more than two meters in length) are losing their position as apex predators. As a result, populations of rays, skates, and smaller sharks have increased tenfold. This means that the entire ecosystem has begun to decline, starting with the decimation of scallop, clam, and oyster populations. As the rays and small sharks work their way down the food chain, fishermen on the coasts suffer and local restaurants lose popular menu items, affecting both the marine ecosystems and the economy.
Now should we be more worried about getting our hands on some clam chowder than the lives of millions of ocean species? Of course not. But this just shows how vast the effect of declining apex predators is proving to be.
Now, let’s talk about what a healthy ocean ecosystem looks like. Oceana takes us to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which aren’t completely unaltered by fishing and human inhabitants, but they’re home to one of the most diverse and flourishing marine ecosystems. After studying the populations of sharks in relation to prey species in these waters, they found that there is a higher population of sharks than their prey. Sharks account for over half of the fish biomass. Not only this, but the sharks here are even larger than other areas surrounding Hawaii!
“These studies illustrate that a typical trophic pyramid for an unfished coral reef is actually inverted, meaning that most of the fish biomass is at the top levels. It also shows that typical overfished ecosystems are lacking apex predators.”
The more sharks that live in a given ecosystem, the healthier and more diverse it will be!
Why do negative human shark interactions happen?
The age-old question: Why do sharks bite humans? Do we look like seals with our limbs hanging off a surfboard? Not quite! While many shark encounters can be summated by sharks mistaking us for a fishy dinner, recent studies have pointed us towards a different explanation.
Sharks’ mouths function as intricate sensory organs that they use to assess their surroundings. This means that they frequently “mouth” different objects to examine and determine possible food value. That’s right- sharks may just be giving us a taste to decide whether or not we’re worth eating! Don’t worry though, we don’t meet their standard in blubber content, which is why many shark encounters end in a flash of the shark retreating.
Sharks are purposeful, smart, goal-driven creatures. Another reason a shark may bite a human is over territory. The biggest sharks get the best hunting grounds, and they’ll evict anything, and anyone, who invades their space. The very important distinction to make here is that sharks do NOT hunt humans. They may be curious and calculated creatures, but we are not in their food pyramid, and we will always be a bigger threat to them than they are to us.
Why We Shouldn’t be Afraid of Sharks:
Now for the most important questions of all! Why shouldn’t we be afraid of sharks? As previously stated, humans are an exponentially greater threat to sharks than they are to us. Humans are responsible for killing 100+ million sharks every year due to fishing and bycatch. Also, the fear being spread by the media saying that “shark attacks are on the rise” do not take into account the rising human populations in these areas. The rising numbers of shark bite cases are steady with the numbers of tourists and other beachgoers who made their way to the coasts. If you’re afraid of encountering a shark, think of it this way-
“We ought to think of the risk of a shark attack like we would think of the risk of a car accident. For example, we don’t assess our personal risk of getting into a car accident by the national statistics on car accidents year over year. We think about our specific car, the weather, the road conditions and other very local factors.” LSU Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences Assistant Professor Stephen Midway says.
Long story short, the ocean belongs to sharks- not us. We should play in their yard respectfully and do everything we can to preserve and protect their home. If you truly want to protect sharks by deterring them from human infested waters, make sure you’re wearing Shark OFF’s proven shark repellent jewelry! Head on over to our website for free shipping everywhere in the United States, including Hawaii.
And as always, lose the fear and LOVE the ocean!
