Since the Megalodon roamed the oceans, during the Jurassic Era also known as the Dinosaurs Era, sharks went through some changes. One of them concerns their dimensions. The generations that are said to be related to it such as the Great White shark and the Bull shark always have been known as potentially dangerous to mankind, especially when feeling threatened or confused about the identity of their prey.
The natural curiosity of humans has always been tickled by these mysterious sea creatures. Although, we have learned a lot about them through the scientific expertise of some marine biologists, there is still a lot that we do not know about them. Maybe it is one of the reasons why what mankind does not know it made up such as myths or shark tales.
Through the years, humans learned to respect sharks while enjoying a swim or surfing in the ocean. Then, Peter Benchley released a bestseller called: "Jaws" in 1974. It became so popular amongst readers that Steven Spielberg brought it to life by releasing the Hollywood version of "Jaws" in 1975.
That movie changed people's reactions about sharks, particularly the Great White shark. Since then, numerous sharks have been hunted or have become victim of culling until it became and endangered species which entitled it to some protection in Australia, South Africa and the United States of America.
People started to develop an incontrollable fear of sharks. Hollywood also gave life to shark tales such as: the Great White shark being an average 25 foot long when in fact the longest shark ever recorded in that specie was no longer than 21 foot.
And what about the idea of the shark stalking humans and devouring them one after another when in fact, the brain of the shark is too small to "think" like humans do. In fact, they react instinctively. Also, following a meal, the Great White shark is known to go without food for months.
When Peter Benchley wrote his novel, his intention was to entertain people's minds. While shark attacks are happening on an average 60 victims worldwide of which maybe 10 can be fatal and that such a fact should not be ignored, people tend to forget that 100 million sharks are killed every year, putting several species on their way to become endangered. In fact, some experts predict that 20 species of sharks will be extinct by the year 2020 if nothing is done.
While the movie "Jaws" gave the idea to people that all sharks are man-eaters, facts do not reflect such a myth. In fact, there are between 375 and 475 known species of sharks of which 80% do not represent any danger to people. And of these "possibly dangerous" species, the main reasons for shark attacks are based on either confusion or threat. When the sharks fee threatened by people's presence or when they confused them with seals, sharks are more prone to attack and usually release their victim after the first bite.
The main fact is that if we respect each other and take precautionary measures to prevent tragedies, humans and sharks should be able to coexist peacefully.
What about "Jaws"$%: Well, let's take it for what it really is, a creative novel that was born in Peter Benchley's mind when he read an article about a fisherman who caught a 4,550 pounds Great White shark in 1964. The rest is history. Let's not develop hatred about sharks as they are only following the purpose that Mother Nature has intended for them. Humans are at risk but on a long scale, we are making the sharks the real victims all because people believed the shark tales of a novel and the movie based on them.
留言列表
