I have never had an experience like that and I don’t know if I ever will again. These beautiful creatures are disappearing at a staggering rate. Their evil persona in films and television are to blame for most of the fear the public has. In 2012, we had only 7 fatal shark attacks worldwide. The fact of the matter is more people are killed yearly by lightning or even vending machines falling on them. But it’s not just people’s fear that is harmful to these ocean beasts; shark finning is to blame for the 90% population decline. The shark finning industry kills about 70 to 100 MILLION sharks a year. Now even if you don’t like sharks and JAWS is your favorite movie, think of this: sharks are the apex predator of the ocean. That means they help keep everything in the ocean in check. A healthy shark population leads to a healthy ocean which equals healthy fish for the 1.2 billion people on our planet whose primary protein source comes from the sea. If we continue to kill the shark population, the entire ocean eco-system will be thrown off with disastrous consequences for all of humanity. I will forever see sharks in a different light after visiting their world, and I hope others will too. They are gorgeous, powerful creatures who should be protected and free to rule the Oceans as they have for centuries. www.earthecho.org
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