ENTERTAINMENT
5 Fun Facts About Sharks
NewsUSA
(NU) - If you have ever taken
a swim in the ocean, the thought
has probably crossed your mind:
Are there any sharks nearby?
More than any other marine
animal, sharks seem to hold our
attention, to say the least. Though
attacks are statistically rare, many
people remain frightened of
sharks and dread the possibility
of meeting one in person.
But beyond their reputation of
dangerousness, sharks are fascinating animals, both in terms of
their biology and the place they
hold in our popular culture. Here
are five fun facts to chew on
about these captivating carnivores:
1. That’s one fast fish. Most
sharks are fast swimmers, but
some species are exceptionally
quick. Mako sharks, for instance,
smaller cousins of the great white
shark, can reach speeds of up to
60 miles per hour.
2. An electrifying animal.
One of the most unique attributes of sharks is a series of jellyfilled pores that cover their heads
and allow them to detect the natural electrical fields emitted by
other animals.
Some species of sharks can
detect fields of less than 1 nanovolt per square centimeter, more
than 5 million times greater than
anything a human could feel. This
sense allows sharks to detect prey
hidden in sand or other out-ofsight places.
3. Sharks on camera. Underwater experts Ron and Valerie Taylor made history in
1971 when they filmed the first-
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ever underwater 35 mm recording of the majestic-but-deadly
great white shark near Dangerous Reef, off the South Australian coast.
The event was chronicled in
their documentary “Blue Water,
White Death,” which boasted a
$5 million box office debut in
1971, a landmark at that time.
The film was brought to DVD for
the first time this year by MGM
Home Entertainment.
4. A living fossil. In January
2007, a rare frilled shark was
found swimming in Japan’s
Awashima Marine Park. This
species of shark, believed to have
changed very little since prehistoric times, usually swims thousands of feet below the water’s
surface, so live sightings of the
animal are exceedingly rare.
5. A big bite of the box office.
Steven Spielberg’s movie “Jaws”
was the first film to earn more
than $100 million at the box office, making it the first true blockbuster.
The film made use of animatronic sharks as well as footage
of live great white sharks shot by
Ron and Valerie Taylor, the same
husband and wife duo who filmed
“Blue Water, White Death.”