WHY SHOULD WE PROTECT SHARKS ?
Whale Shark More than 400 known species of sharks inhabit the world’s oceans. They vary widely in size and behavior, from the goldfish-sized dwarf dog shark to the whale shark, which can grow to a length of 18 meters (60 feet) and weigh as much as two full-grown African elephants. Many people, influenced by movies, popular novels, and widespread media coverage of shark attacks, think of sharks as people-eating monsters. In reality, the three largest species—the whale shark, basking shark, and megamouth shark—are gentle giants. These plant-eating sharks swim through the water with their mouths open, filtering out and swallowing huge quantities of phytoplankton. Media coverage of shark attacks greatly exaggerates the danger from sharks. Every year, members of a few species such as the great white, bull, tiger, oceanic white tip, and hammerhead sharks, injure 60–75 people worldwide. Between 1998 and 2008, there were an average of six deaths per year from such attacks. Some of these sha