Things I've Learned from Shark Week

Non-scientific things I’ve learned while watching endless hours of Shark Week on Nat Geo:

-          When you dive to see beautiful coral reefs or cage dive to see sharks who have been infuriated by chum, you might be next on their menu.

-          Don’t swim, play, or fish in murky water.

-          Don’t venture out too far as they attack even in chest deep water; some unlucky people were even bitten in knee deep water by smaller sharks.

-          Sharks like warm water and they eat in the morning, at noon, and after five – you are in their habitat and you might be next on their menu.

-          Sharks are always hungry.

-          Sharks can kill for sport, not just food, they are endangering the sea otter population in San Francisco Bay.

-          Most attacks happen not because they confused you with seals, or you are wearing too much shiny jewelry, or bright colors, etc., sharks can’t see that well from far away but they can sense and hear thrashing, fear (sense increased heart rate), can smell quite well, and their decision to attack is most likely deliberate – they are hungry and you are convenient, no matter where you are.

-          Some waters are infested with huge sharks of many species who have been used to eating carcasses of animals disposed of in the water by farmers

-          Some beaches witness strings of attacks because commercial divers feed them in order to attract tourist divers who want to see sharks in their element; sharks get used to humans handing them fish and reaching for fish in fanny packs; such sharks attack swimmers’ rears where the fanny packs are kept by divers and hands that fed them before.

-          Great white sharks are attacked and eaten by killer whales but they only eat their livers, they extract them with surgical precision; the Great white’s liver is huge and makes up one third of its weight.

-          When you are in the water, anything can attack, you are in their habitat, as I’ve learned the hard way two years ago when I was stung by a sting ray in whose vicinity I happened to swim – always shuffle your steps when you enter the water, they hide in the sand.

-          Sharks will enter dive cages and attack those inside; the cages are made of light aluminum; once a huge shark enters the cage, you are dead meat, with a few exceptions when the people inside actually escaped alive.

-          If I want to cool off from the heat on the beach, I am going to enter the water to my ankles and only if the water is crystal clear; otherwise, they do have showers on the beach.

 Watch Jaws repeatedly.