Sharks are the most feared creatures of our oceans. They are known as the killing and eating machines of the deep blue, but is this reputation really deserved?

Firstly, sharks are not the eating machines that we give them credit for. They are cold blooded and as a result most species eat less than two per cent of their body weight daily. This is less than humans consume in a day.

There are over 375 diverse species of sharks and only five of these species are known to have attacked humans. The Great White Shark, the Bull Shark, the Tiger Shark, the Mako Shark and the Hammerhead Shark are the aggressive species that due to their natures, have attacked humans.

The odds of being attacked by a shark are extremely low. More people die yearly from bee stings, lightning strikes and bad reactions to antibiotics than are killed by sharks. When put in this context, are sharks as menacing as they are portrayed? People fear the appearance and the deadly reputation of sharks. The image of sharks portrayed by the media as a large eating machine hunting you down in the oceans adds greatly to the fear of these creatures. Death by such a violent means is more

frightening to us than death by a more common threat, such as a bee sting.

Sharks do not plan to attack humans. It is not in their nature and they are not intelligent enough to plan or plot. Furthermore they dislike the taste of human flesh and the smell of human blood. Because of this, sharks will generally leave a person alone after an initial bite.

Almost 95% of shark attacks occur in less than two metres of water. This is because the water clarity and visibility is very poor. In these situations, sharks have to rely on their sensing of movement and vibrations rather than their eyesight. As a result of poor visibility they can easily mistake a swimmer’s leg for a flailing fish or a surfboard for a seal. If a shark is in open visible waters, it is extremely unlikely to attack unless provoked. Sometimes, if a shark is curious, it may take a bite from its victim to decide whether or not it is edible. Unfortunately the victim can be left with a horrific life threatening injury, however the shark will usually leave a human alone after an initial bite.

It is wrong that people want sharks destroyed after an attacked on a human. After all we are in their environment, so we have to accept the risk of encountering an aggressive shark no matter how unlikely it is. A shark attacking a human is a rare happening and the shark does not develop a desire to continue hunting for human flesh following such an attack. The shark is unlikely to attack again. To hunt and kill the offending shark in an attempt at taking revenge is irrational. Instead it should be chased off shore, away from public beaches. Unfortunately, we are already killing millions of sharks per year through fishing and the killing of one more shark is not going to prevent another incident occurring.

We actually have nothing to fear when swimming at the beach. The chances of being attacked are so slim and the chances of a fatal attack are somewhat lower. There is no denying that coming into contact with a shark would be a very frightening experience, one we would all prefer to avoid.