Earth Day has reached its 40th anniversary, and thank goodness it’s still going strong! In celebration of this annual eye-opener, I want to share one of my favorite things about this interesting globe we call home.
And that would be my favorite animal, the shark.
Shark #5: The Lemon Shark
One of the cutest guys out there, the lemon shark gets its name from its yellow-tinged skin, which provides great camouflage along the sandy bottoms of the ocean. They are one of the bigger sharks that (thankfully) aren’t aggressive to humans, making them great swimming companions. Slightly unusual, they are marked with two dorsal fins of similar size, and a blunt-tipped nose. At it’s max, they can grow to be 11 feet long.
Shark #4: The Hammerhead Shark
What a freak of nature, and I LOVE it! If your mother-in-law turned into an animal, it’d probably be a hammerhead. They’re known for their extreme aggression. In fact, their favorite snacks are stingrays. I mean, c’mon, you know you’re tough when you take on a sting ray! As for their most unique feature, that strange boomerang disk jutting out of their bodies, it’s actually there for a reason. They have highly advanced sensory organs spaced out along their heads, making them one of the best at scoping out prey. The great hammerheads can grow to be 20 feet long.
Shark #3: The Bull Shark
Though not one of my favorites, I had to include the Bull Shark on account of they’re just so dang different! Bull Sharks are mean, period. Unlike other sharks, they don’t mind the taste of humans, and will come back for some more. But that aside, they really are awesome. What’s the number one awesome thing about them? They are river cruisers. They have been found thousands of miles away from the ocean up the Amazon River. And get this, you know that leaping thing that salmon do? Bull Sharks have been seen doing the same thing up rapids to get to Lake Nicaragua. Plus their babies are just oh-so-cute. They’ll eventually grow to over 11 feet long.
Shark #2: The Whale Shark
What a fish! The whale shark, being the largest shark AND the largest fish in the ocean, can grow to be 40 feet long! Scary, huh? Not really, as they get their name not only from their giant size, but also by the way they eat. Whale Sharks are filter feeders, meaning they feed on itty bitty little krill, plankton, and similar sized fish. They are gentle creatures, and are great to swim with. They might even let you ride on their backs!
Shark #1: The Great White Shark
I know, I know. How expected of me to include the Great White. But how could I not? Where would we be today without this colossus fish? What about the Jaws series? What about Shark Week on the Discovery Channel? Fact: Great Whites are a lot nicer than they may appear. Well, maybe not a fact, but definitely the opinion of many scientists. They hate the taste of humans, they’re just cursed by an overwhelming curiosity! Also, they have nerves on the tip of their noses that when “tickled” makes them feel really good. They’ll actually come back for more! Plus, these guys have to be the most awesome eaters out there. Everybody’s seen the videos. They can actually propel themselves completely out of the water at 15 miles per hour to catch their prey. Yeah, you feel bad for the little cute seal for about 2 milliseconds, but that’s just too cool to care for long! They’re one of the largest sharks, reaching over 20 feet long, and over 5,000 pounds. And with their superman senses, they can sniff out the tiniest amount of blood up to 3 miles away.
And that’s my countdown. Overall I think sharks are misunderstood. I think they should be loved just as much as that cute cuddly kitten trying to claw out your ankle right now.
Want your own shark with you everywhere you go? Get the Save Our Seas license tag for your car. It has a Great White right on it!
><(("> Becca Carpenter
Becca is a ><(("> Team member at Catch Your Limit, a management and marketing firm with offices in Tallahassee, FL and Richmond, VA. To learn more, visit www.catchyourlimit.com.
What is it with you and sharks Becca??