The 14th of July is Shark Awareness Day. I love sharks, and I think, this topic should be known by everyone. This week, I will (also on my social media) concentrate on sharks.
Today I will introduce you to the 12 of the most known shark species that everyone should know.
Whale Shark
Whaleshark is the largest shark species of them all. It grows up to 19m and weighs 34 tons. This huge but gentle giant can be found in the warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Even though it's a shark, it feeds on plankton and crustaceans, so it really doesn't hurt humans. The whale shark is my favorite fish, and I hope it charmed you too.
Basking shark
The second largest shark species grows up to 12 meters and can weigh up to 7 tons. This shark also feeds on plankton, which is filtered through its huge mouth. It can migrate unbelievable distances during winter. One shark tagged off Cape Cod was later discovered near Brazil.
Shortfin mako shark
Thought to be the fastest shark species.
It grows up to 3metres and 550 kilograms.
It can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans and the Mediterranean Sea.
Thresher Shark
This species has a beautiful elongated tail fin. Their tail is used to herd and stun prey. They are however harmless for humans.
There are three species of thresher sharks: the common thresher, pelagic thresher, and the bigeye thresher. All three species have been listed as vulnerable in the year 2007.
Bull Shark
One of the top three species implicated in unprovoked shark attacks on humans
It grows up to 3.5 meters and 220 kilograms. Bull sharks tend to frequent warm, shallow, and often murky waters close to shore.
Tiger Shark
Tiger sharks are among the sharks most likely to attack humans. It tends to weigh up to 900 kilograms and grow up to 5metres. You can find vertical stripes running down his sides, and they disappear as he grows.
White Shark
Grows up to 6 meters and weighs up to 2 tons. It's considered the most dangerous shark and was fished systematically because of this. In reality, this species is very curious and tends to investigate its prey before eating it. They may release prey if they find it untasty. Some great whites may bite humans but not go on to kill them.
Oceanic Whitetip Shark
Very easily recognizable shark, thanks to white-spotted fins. It lives out in the open ocean far from land, in tropical and subtropical waters. It was feared during World War I and II for its potential threat to military personnel on downed planes and sunken ships.
Blue shark
This blue shark can be found in temperate and tropical oceans around the world. It can grow up to 3.5 meters and weigh up to 250 kilograms. It's active during the night and feeds on mackerel, herrings, and cephalopod. It's the most heavily fished shark nowadays.
Hammerhead shark
Several species include the winghead, mallethead, scalloped hammerhead, scoophead, great hammerhead, and bonnethead sharks. They have eyes on each side and that gives them a wide visual range, which aids their hunting. Hammerhead sharks inhabit tropical and warm temperate oceans.
Nurse Shark
This nocturnal bottomfeeder prefers to live on the ocean floor and can be often found in caves and crevices. It's listed as vulnerable in several countries.
Blacktip reef shark
Found in warm, shallow waters over reefs in the Pacific Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea.
It's usually about 1 meter. This species is shy, it poses a danger to humans only when it confuses a person with food. It feeds on small fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods.
So this is them, which one do you like the most? Gentle giant Whale Shark, or a predator White Shark? Either way, I believe that every single one deserves our respect. Every year millions of sharks are caught in Europe. Spain, for example, is one of the leading manufacturers of unprocessed shark fins. But I'll write more on this topic in the next blog post.