SHARK WORLD

[harbison]

SHARK WORLD
Sharks have fascinated mankind ever since man first went to sea.
 But what are they? Let's take a look:
Sharks belong to a group of creatures known as cartilaginous fishes because most of their skeleton is made from cartilage rather than bone. The only part of their skeleton not made from this soft flexible tissue is their teeth.
The earliest shark fossils date back almost 450 million years.

Dinosaurs did not appear until 230 million years ago meaning sharks have lived about three times as long as dinosaurs, and 100 times as long as man.
How dangerous are sharks?
As of 2015 there have been 2,899 known shark attacks world wide resulting in 548 fatalities. The greater majority of these attacks have come for Great Whites:

The Great White is the most dangerous shark with a recorded 314 unprovoked attacks on humans. And this really BIG, 1,500 to 2,430 pound, boy has the equipment to back that massive size up. The Great White Shark may have up to 3,000 teeth at any one time with five rows of teeth at any given time. The front set of teeth is the largest and does most of the biting. The Great White may grow and use more than 20,000 teeth in its lifetime. This really big, dangerous, creature is able to tear and consume up to 30 pounds of flesh with each bite. The force of each bite can measure over one ton per square inch. (source: Dingerkus)
As we all know without being properly vented Biotrauma is a threat to most catch-and release deep water fish.
Not only Great Whites, but many sharks can have 3,000 sharp, very sharp, teeth. Probably not too good of an idea to 'attempt' to vent a shark. Fortunately, with no swim bladder, venting is not necessary. A shark's liver contains high levels of oily lipids. This gives the shark more or less neutral buoyancy, meaning the shark has roughly the same density as seawater. Having neutral buoyancy relative to the seawater makes it easier for the shark to swim; and swim they do. The Great White Shark can swim at 25 mph with short burst to 35 mph. The Mako Shark can hit 60 mph.
Take a look at what one bite from a shark can do to a large American Red Snapper:

Terrible!
In years gone by we thought it was our duty to kill as many sharks as we could. We now know differently. As apex predators sharks play an important role in the ecosystem by maintaining the specie below them in the food chain. They help remove the weak and the sick as well as keeping the balance with competitors helping to ensure species diversity.
As anglers we appreciate a good fight. Sharks are to be respected; they give us a fight never to be forgotten:



Mr. John Martin has been in a fight for the ages. He will thank the Sandbar Shark for giving all he had to give, ask him to smile for the camera, and release him to fight again; to help preserve our oceans:

Sharks have fascinated mankind ever since man first went to sea.
And they still do!
Catch the shark-fighting video:
 

Credits:
Wikipedia
N Tamura
Dingerkus
Encyclopedia Britannica
 
 
 

[fluke - u]

  .... Thanks Capt. Bob. ....