Who Framed the Shark?
A look at the myths and mythology that enshroud the Shark. Adele and Annie discuss more…
Illustration by Abbie Cleave.
Summer is here and the beaches are filled with people; children in the tide pools and surfers on the waves. It’s been a while since the weather was this good and everyone is in high spirits, but a shadow lurks in the deep. A monstrous Great White shark with a taste for human flesh stalks those who dare to stray too far away from the safety of the beach. It is always hungry and always lurking; waiting for the right time to strike. Does this remind you of a certain thriller movie? Whether it’s the 1975 movie Jaws, the recent remake called The Meg or the outrageous Five Headed Shark Attack, the premise is always the same: Sharks are dangerous and will kill you given half a chance.
While this is how sharks are portrayed in today’s media, shark mythology tells tales of benevolent gods and protectors. In Fijian mythology the shark-god Dakuwaqa or Dakuwanga was revered by fishermen because he protected them from any evil lurking in the water and dangers at sea. He is also the god and protector of Kadavu Island. Likewise, Hawaiians believe that when a person dies their family could offer the body up to become a shark. This shark was known as the family’s “aumakua” and would protect the family from harm and help to steer fish into their nets.
There were darker stories as well. The Japanese had a god called “shark-man” that they believed caused typhoons and could only be appeased through human sacrifice. In Greek mythology, Zeus pursued the Libyan Queen Lamia and had children with her. Hera, Zeus’ jealous godly wife, stole these children, causing Lamia to go mad and turn into a child-eating sea monster. Lamnid sharks, including the Great White, are named after her.
So when exactly did this shift in perception from benevolent Gods to malevolent animals happen? In 1916, a string of shark attacks in Beach Haven and Spring Lake helped feed the notion that sharks were to be feared. Another attack during World War II helped solidify these fears. The USS Indianapolis that carried around 1200 passengers was sunk by Japanese submarines. 300 of the passengers were killed in the attack and subsequent sinking of the ship while the remaining 900 were left adrift on life rafts. In the next five days, only 316 of the passengers survived the shark attacks, dehydration burns and drowning. This event is seen as the single greatest loss of life at sea for the Navy and attracted a lot of attention from the press. Stephen Speilberg’s blockbuster film Jaws in 1975, and subsequent films with sharks as their villains, only helped to solidify sharks’ reputation as bloodthirsty, man-eating monsters.
But is this a fair and accurate representation of sharks and their nature? The short and simple answer is, no! The scientist Francesco Ferrettii, a shark researcher at Stanford said it best, "This mischaracterization spawned interest in popularizing recreational killing of sharks and bred apathy amongst the public regarding spikes in shark mortality associated with the global shark fin trade and bycatch of sharks in the commercial fishing industry."
The reality is that sharks do not even actually like human flesh. It is most often relatively small sharks that are hunting their usual prey (fish) that are the cause of shark attacks. They confuse humans splashing around for fish and take a curious bite only to be put off by the taste. The few larger sharks like Bull and Great White sharks that might attack humans also mistake them for seals. George Burgess, a shark attack expert from Florida Museum of Natural History, says that proof of their dislike of human flesh is that they rarely bite a human more than once.
Another notion drilled into us by Hollywood and it’s love for shark villains is that it will mindlessly kill humans to save food for later. In fact, they often lose prey to other sharks and they never kill as fast as they actually can. The idea that they kill as many people as possible is nothing but fiction, says Burgess. Sharks are not as vengeful as they are made out to be in movies like Jaws and The Shallows. While they are intelligent creatures, they are quick learners and do not have any bones to pick with humans. They often associate humans with free food due to controversial baiting drives, but they have much more to fear from us than we do them. Sharks are far more likely to be eaten by humans than humans by sharks. In 2018, only five people died due to shark-related incidents while tens of millions of sharks were killed by people.
The marine ecosystem is directly linked with having a healthy shark population. They help maintain the oceanic food chain, controlling the presence of other animals and can even have an effect on seagrass composition. The use of sharks in the medical field have helped in developments that could provide clues to antiviral treatment. Squalamine, found in shark liver, can increase the host cell's capability of fighting infection. Also the bumpy texture of shark skin is the inspiration behind a coating for hospital surfaces that has proved to curb the growth of infection-causing bacteria. Sharks as a source of inspiration is a common theme, everything from car design, energy harvesting devices, robotic sensors and help in innovating a promising renewable energy source.
All over the world sharks are being threatened with extinction. A study showed a 71% decline in shark population in the last 50 years. A demand for shark fin soup in China as a symbol of status has led to a sharp decline in shark population, almost a quarter of the world’s Chondrichthyes (the group that includes sharks, rays and skates) are being considered threatened by the IUCN Red List. In Hong Kong (the leading importer of shark fins around the globe) demand and prices are dropping. In China they are attempting to curb the nation’s appetite for shark fin soup, and shark protections and regulations have increased in recent years.
In India, the Ganges Shark has almost been hunted to extinction. They are found in the Ganges river, are true river sharks, and are also very rare. Due to overfishing and habitat degradation from pollution, the species has been placed on the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered. They are often eaten locally and are further affected by the construction of dams and increased use of the river. In 2001, the Indian government enacted protections on this shark protected under Schedule I, Part II A of the Wildlife Protection Act of India. While many assume it is a ferocious man-eating shark, little is known about its behavior and attacks linked to the Ganges Shark could be due to confusion with Bull sharks.
The narrative built around sharks as malevolent by Hollywood, and isolated shark attacks have shaped the perceptions of sharks for generations. It has constructed an atmosphere where extinction of sharks seems almost destined. The work done by conservationists to reshape this narrative is vital to its preservation. From complex creatures respected by communities to bloodthirsty monsters, how will the shark's narrative change next?
Thank you to Abbie Cleave for her beautiful illustration. You can find more of her work on Instagram at @abbiecleaveillustration.
Adele Santamaria
Adele is currently in her last year of her degree in English, Journalism and Psychology. She loves writing and believes in writing about important world issues to try to bring about change. Annie is an MSc. graduate from the University of Exeter. She is passionate about her research and aspires to make a positive impact on human and animal welfare. You can find her on Instagram @adele_santamaria_
Annie Megan Santamaria
Annie is an MSc. graduate from the University of Exeter with interests in disease evolution. She is passionate about her research and aspires to make a positive impact on human and animal welfare. Annie was a part of the editorial team at Gubbi Labs where she managed an online science news journal and created graphics, podcasts and wrote pieces on scientific developments. Her goal is to bridge the gap between the researcher and the public by making science more accessible and easy to understand.