Whale Sharks

Known mostly for their enormous size and docile behavior, Whale Sharks are largest fish species that are threatened to become extinct. Scientists have discovered that this species has been around for over 60 million years and has a life span of about 70 years.
Whale Sharks gravitate to warmer waters, especially in the tropical areas. Every spring, Whale Sharks migrate towards the continental shelf off of the coast of Australia.
The gestation period of a Whale Shark is unknown, however, in 1996, a female Whale Shark was captured and was pregnant with over 300 pups. The pups hatch inside the mother and stay in her for an unknown amount of time. When they are born, Whale Shark pups are approximately 16-24 inches long.
It is believed that Whale Sharks reach sexual maturity at approximately 30 years of age.

The largest Whale Shark ever mentioned was 40 feet long, but they are known to get even bigger than that. The average size of male Whale Sharks recorded is approximately over 31 feet and 20,000 pounds. In relation to a bus, a whale shark is as big, IF NOT BIGGER than an average school bus.

Whale Sharks usually have gray, blue, or brown spots or stripes covering their tops, while they have white underbellies.
Most notably, Whale Sharks are known for the huge contradiction of their enormous size, and docile behavior. Whale Sharks do not have sharp teeth like other species of sharks do. They have BALEENS which is sort of like a filter system. The baleens are so tightly packed together that it catches the Whale Sharks' prey...plankton. Anything too big would not be able to pass through, which is why if a human were to ever get accidentaly caught in their enormous mouths (it has been alleged that this has happened before although there is not any verifiable proof) they would be spit out immediately :)

When Whale Sharks are confronted by humans, they usually swim past them, minding their own business, and sometimes humans are even able to hitch a ride alongside these massive, gorgeous creatures. However, some scientists suggest that this is not a good idea, one of the reasons being that this is an animal in his/her natural habitat and should be respected and left alone.

Whale Sharks, are by far one of the sweetest, most peaceful creatures in our Oceans. It is beyond unfortunate and heartbreaking that they are continued to be murdered in parts of Asia, for example the Phillippines and Taiwan.

A Theory of Mine...

I do some of my best thinking in the shower, and it occurred to me a possible theory as to why sharks have very few proponents in this world.

Here are some of my thoughts:
1) First of all, sharks do not have any fur, so they do not give off that warm and cuddly feeling; instead they seem to give off a cold, hard, and painful feeling.

2) There are those rows and rows of deadly, sharp teeth that don't help.

3) They don't yawn, sneeze, cough, sleep, or close their eyes.

4) You can't really blame the way they feed on animals as one of the reasons because you can just take a look at the National Geographic channel and see a lion or tiger devouring a still-alive baby zebra and that just shakes you to your core. So that is not a reasonable reason. All animals have violent tendencies.

5) This is my final reason, and I think this is at the core of the lack-of-supporters for sharks: sharks are really, the only species I can think of that have absolutely, 100% NO maternal instincts. They do not feed their babies milk, watch over them, teach them, guide them or anything. Once the baby is born they are on their own! Completely, they get absolutely no attention or help from their parents. I mean even certain species of snakes and spiders look after their young to a certain extent. But I guess if you have rows and rows of sharp teeth, serrated skin, and no arms, you wouldn't be a very good mother even if you tried. It is possible that this lack of maternal instincts doesn't promote affectionate feelings towards the apex predators of the ocean.

Anyway, this is just a theory of mine. Let me know what you think :)

Marissa

Great Victories for Sharks!!!

We are doing something right ladies and gentlemen!!!

According to the amazing Shark Research Institute, Chile has completely banned shark finning in their waters.
Honduras claimed over 90,000 miles as a shark sanctuary (meaning that no matter the circumstances, if sharks are in that region, killing them is ILLEGAL)!!
The Bahamas claimed over 240,000 miles as a shark sanctuary as well.
Finally, The Marshall Islands, Palau, and Guam claimed OVER 2 MILLION MILES as a shark sanctuary.

Here at home, Oregon, Washington, and California have outlawed the trade of shark fins!

These are obviously huge accomplishments for our notorious apex predator of the ocean. The stricter we are on shark finning the better our Earth's health and survival will be. We still have an enormous amount of work to do to reverse the devastating damage that humans have caused, half of the known 400 species of sharks are still ENDANGERED!!! But with continued awareness and research we can help sharks regain their numbers.

The Shark Research Institute is the leading organization in promoting sharks' interests, educating people about sharks, and giving them a voice, and I am proud to be a member. Their continuous research has helped several species of sharks gain numbers and their relentless stance in promoting shark conservation has (and will continue to) decrease the destruction of our apex predator of the ocean . I am honored to be a small part in this organization. If you would like to check them out, their website is www.sharks.org.

Tiger Sharks

Tiger sharks are most notoriously known as the "ocean's garbage-cans" for they eat anything and everything they can sink their teeth into. They actually have such unique and sharp teeth that they are able to cut through not only flesh, but also bones as well as turtle shells! Besides eating whatever they can find swimming in the ocean, tiger sharks mostly eat seals, sea turtles, sea birds, other sharks, dolphins, fish, and even sea snakes! Not picky at all :)

Tiger sharks are one of the biggest species of shark alive today. They can even rival the Great White Sharks with their size. Usually, they are at least 16 feet in length but females on average reach 18 feet long. On average, Tiger sharks weigh approximately 849-1,400 pounds!!!
Tiger sharks are usually found in tropical and temperate waters. They seem to favor the temperature of the Pacific Islands in particular.

Tiger sharks are extremely solitary creatures and ususally do their hunting at night. They are able to detect electric fields from any object in the ocean and can also detect minute vibrations in the water which allows the Tiger sharks to be extremely efficient at hunting their prey at night. Their heads are 'wedge-shaped' which them to turn abruptly to one side.

Tiger sharks possess EXCELLENT eye-sight and a highly acute sense of smell that allows them to react to very faint traces of blood and follow them to the source!! Due to the high risk of attacks, dolphins often avoid regions that are inhabited by Tiger sharks!!!

***Tiger sharks are ranked as one of the most dangerous species of shark. Although Tiger shark attacks on humans are HIGHLY RARE, they are responsible for a considerable percentage of fatal attacks on humans. ***** (In other words, if you happen to be swimming in the ocean and see one of these sharks it would be best to get the heck away from them as soon as possible).

Females mate approximately once every three years. The mating process is EXTREMELY PAINFUL for the female, for the male has to bite down on her back in order to hold on to her as they swim along. (This doesn't just occur for this species of shark). Females usually have enormous amounts of scars along their backs because of this.

The eggs hatch internally and are born fully developed. The young develop inside of the mother for 16 months! Obviously, this is an extremely long time and baby Tiger sharks have been known to eat their under-developed brothers and sisters INSIDE OF THE WOMB.

Currently, scientists do not know how long Tiger sharks can live, however there have been Tiger sharks recorded to be over 12 years old.

The most notable shark attack involving the Tiger shark occurred in October of 2003, when American surfer, Bethany Hamilton was surfing and was bit, causing her to lose her entire arm. Along with giving inspirational speeches she continues to surf today. It is believed (although not 100% confirmed) that she was attacked by a 19-foot-male Tiger shark.

****Tiger sharks are captured and killed for their fins, flesh, and liver. With this being a continuing trend, Tiger sharks will inevitably go from being a threatened species to an endangered one. The question is only a matter of how much time that will take.  

Mako Sharks

Mako Shark Facts:

There are actually two types of Mako Sharks: the Shortfin Mako Shark and the Longfin Mako Shark.

• These sharks have sleek, skinny bodies, with large black eyes, a distinctly pointed nose, and long-pointed teeth.
•  Mako Sharks are in the 'vulnerable' conservation status!!
• On average these sharks are approximately 7-9 ft. long.
• Shortfin Mako Sharks are found in temperate (meaning neither too cold nor too warm waters) as well as tropical seas worldwide.
• Longfin Mako Sharks are found specifically in the Gulf Stream or warmer offshore waters.
• Food preferences: Mako Sharks mainly feed on bony fish (i.e. tuna, swordfish...etc); however Makos have been known to eat other sharks, sea turtles, sea birds, and dolphins.
• Hunting Technique: Makos have a specific way of hunting: they approach their prey from underneath. This gives them the advantage in the sense that they can see what is above them and implement the 'SURPRISE ATTACK.' (This method is almost completely fool-proof).
• Makos are the fastest sharks in the seas; they can reach up to 31 mph and have been seen to have bursts of up to 46 mph!!
• Makos give birth to LIVE YOUNG, and have a gestation period of approximately 15-18 months (almost double a human's gestation period).
• Maximum age recorded: 29 years for males; 32 years for females.
• This species of shark do not do well in captivity, they usually do not last past 1 month, which explains why there are never any Mako Sharks at aquariums.
• The International Shark Attack File has reported that through the duration of 30 years (1980-2010) there have been 42 attacks on humans. 3 OF WHICH WERE FATAL.
• IN GENERAL, THIS SPECIES OF SHARK DO NOT ATTACK HUMANS. THE TIMES WHERE HUMANS WERE ATTACKED, IT WAS ALWAYS DUE TO MISTAKEN IDENTITY---THE SHARK CONFUSING THE HUMAN FOR WEAKENED OR HURT PREY.

New Mission

Over the next few months, I will be 'disecting' the hundreds of species of sharks, one-by-one and presenting information about each species. Their normal habitat, how they hunt, what they eat, how they reproduce, how many attacks on humans, how many of the attacks were fatal, any unique physical characteristics and much more. This is obviously a huge undertaking (there are over 440 species that have been discovered) but I feel that with more knowledge and FACTS that I present to the public, the better understanding people will have over the different types of sharks. Who knows, maybe my little blog will have an impact on how some people view sharks. :)

Thank you,
Marissa 

Update on my Farallon Islands Adventure!!

My adventure to the great Farallon Islands to see the Great White Sharks is still on, however in less than a year :) The weather is just too crazy right now, so thankfully, I am able to still go there, but I'm going in September of 2012!!!! That way it's not too late in the year and the weather will be less crazy :) Just wanted to update my viewers.
Below are some pictures of where I'm going to go in September!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EEK!!!!! :)