Since the release of Jaws , the overwhelming public perception is that sharks are dangerous to humans and do not deserve to be protected. I hope the recent accident that happened in Khorfakkan, UAE  where a man has been attacked by a shark  will not lead to a “monster hunt’ here in the UAE.

 Actually, sharks are very important to us. Understanding the issues and getting inspiration to take actions is the only way we can save our oceans and ourselves.

Few people would be surprised if someone walking across the Serengeti in Africa was attacked by lions.

The Serengeti is the lion’s home same as the ocean is the shark’s home.

 Sharks will not generally attack humans as we are not their pray. Most attacks happen because of mistaken identity, harassment or the shark being caught on a fishing line.Spear fishers often catch fish and slot them in their waist pockets bags. In the last case, the shark aiming for the dead fish must have mistaken the man as a fish himself. It is a very unfortunate case. 5 or 6 people die each year from a shark , but please remember that around 100,000,000 sharks die each year from humans. What would be the ocean if there were no sharks? Sharks are on top of the food chain and keep the ocean’s ecosystem balanced. With overfishing, some sharks population has declined by nearly 90%. They feed on different species and change food sources. If they disappear, medium sized fish ( ex. Groupers or snappers) who eat smaller fish, which feed themselves with algae, become the top predator. The algae can then grow out of control suffocating the coral reef. Without coral reefs million of species would be without shelter or food. The consequence would be catastrophic for the fishering industry and also for the coastal areas themselves as coral reefs offer shelter from storm and flood.

As stewards of the Earth, we have to protect our planet.

My inspiration to take  action is to teach young students in our Divers Down school program to dive and also to protect the ocean. The AWARE Shark Conservation is a very interesting program I introduce to young student to know more about the sharks and create awareness.

Sharks might be scary but the ocean without them would be more scary!!!