Insight, Video

Stupid Things That People Say About Sharks Vol. 1

Sharks are arguably the most misunderstood animal on the planet. So it stands to reason that people are going to get a lot wrong about them in just about any discussion.

by WSC Staff

June 6, 2023

From the Archives

Sharks are arguably the most misunderstood animal on the planet. So it stands to reason that people are going to get a lot wrong about them in just about any discussion.

With that in mind, we’ve assembled a list of some of the stupid things that people say about sharks

Each item on this list has several sublayers which we’ve tried to outline throughout the accompanying video. You’ll have to watch to get the details but a basilisks skeleton is provided below.

An Honorable Mention to Overnight orca experts

Lurking / Stalking / Swimming Aggressively

All the above are used to describe sharks swimming in any capacity as long as a human is in the vicinity and someone else captures it on film.

So what was happening before we had so many cameras capturing everything happening around us at all times? How do humans manage to keep escaping one of the most feared predators on the planet?

How did shark manage to become such a legendary predator if they can’t kill us when we’re not even aware of them next to us? Is the manner that a sharks swims different than the way other species swim when we refer to them as curious? Or is the difference based on our feelings for the animal?

We Know Almost Nothing About These Animals / Solving the 400,000,000 Year Mystery.

This one has bothered me for so long that there are many layers to break down. There are three top layers with sublayers under them.

It’s not True
1. Copious Data – Based on my argument that we have copious, even trivial data on these animals. It’s a catchy thing to say when presenting a justification to pursue more data because it’s an ocean animal most of us are intrigued with on some level, but this intrigue is not anything new.
2. Unknown or Just unaware? Although many of us aren’t aware of existing data it exists for those willing to look for it. Old data is being presented with new story lines, drama, and lots of visuals which captures our attention and most viewers don’t stop to question the TV personality telling us that it’s “unprecedented”.
3. Discovering Common Sense – Building on the theme of preying on our lack of awareness we even have studies today telling us things that were once considered common sense.
Compared to what?
1. It’s fun to embrace the idea that we’re overcoming a challenge of learning about a mysterious ocean animal that isn’t easy to access, but how much do we know about animals that are easy to access? Once again, the data is out there if we’re willing to access it, but a general lack of awareness divides modern humans from most animals. I don’t even have to use an exotic animal as an example, I can just use a deer or a dog and it won’t take long before people people’s knowledge on the topic is tapped out. Knowledge exists across the board for those who wish to find it, but it’s romantic and attractive to claim the shark is the only one we can’t quite grasp.
So what?
1. To what end? Why do we need it, how much do we need, and at what cost will we gain it? The more harmful the methods the more profound the justification is, such as saving the species. I personally would still argue there’s a fundamental flaw in treating other earthlings the way aliens treat their human abductees, but the fact that we aren’t saving them makes it intolerable.

Play with Fire – Gonna get burned

There are so many people saying some variation of this stupidity that it makes me weep for the future; the dumb truly are breeding. And by future, I mean the remaining 50 years humans have left.

If you do ANYTHING long enough something will go wrong. So how is it a compelling argument that you shouldn’t go anywhere near sharks when something finally goes wrong every blue moon?
Why do the haters only hate on shark advocates who dive with sharks? Meaning, if you’re going to be cruel enough to say someone deserves to be bitten, why don’t people say that about surfers or spear fishermen? I’m not arguing that surfers “deserve” it, but as far as engaging in an activity that we KNOW has risks you could certainly argue that they deserve it more. Spearfishing…well, that really is asking for it.
Choosing our accepted experts with extreme prejudice. When a shark advocate/scientist is bitten he’s an idiot, but we happily accept what surfers who are missing their legs have to say.

Sharks are just like lions and bears. Sharks are just like dogs and cats.

I see these sorts of comments, which are almost the complete opposite of each other, declared on social media in almost equal amounts. So which one is right?