After the movie Jaws came out in the 1970s, it was a big joke that no diver wanted to see a shark underwater. Today it’s just the opposite. Sharks are vital to the health of the oceans and are also incredible creatures that have been swimming since before dinosaurs emerged. They are a miracle of evolution. Yet the world is killing 100 million sharks a year, largely just to put their fins in a soup. When an animal is villainized, it’s an easy stretch to kill them. That needs a makeover.
As much as they’re the biggest, baddest guys in the ocean, life can be hard – they’re affected by climate change, overfishing and pollution. Yet you can get into the water in the Bahamas with tiger sharks that could easily tear you up, but they don’t. Whereas lions would be all over you if you stepped outside your vehicle in the Serengeti, tiger sharks are certainly predators but you can dive near them without a problem. It’s a testament that these animals are not really out to get us.
In the summer of 2016, National Geographic looked at three shark species with notorious reputations: tiger sharks, great whites, and oceanic whitetips. They met scientists who are shedding new light on these enigmatic creatures that are vital to the seas — and not as scary as you might think. The series continued in 2017 with shortfin mako sharks.
SHARKS & HEALTY ECOSYSTEMS
GREAT WHITE SHARKS
TIGER SHARKS
OCEANIC WHITETIP SHARKS
SHORTFIN MAKO SHARKS