“Don't let your fingers dangle in the water. And, don't you worry 'bout the Day-Glo orange life preserver. It won't save you. It won't save you. Swim for the shore just as fast as you are able. Swim.” Further along, “It's murder out there, murder out there. Sharks patrol these waters." Morphine.While these lyrics are a metaphor, they swim through my head as I compose the following short funny story... although, not entirely; More like, "food for thought."
One day I tell my stepsister about my fear of water. There are several reasons behind said fear but I'll reserve those worries for another time. Anyway, I tell her about the Bull Shark... a fast moving, carnivorous shark, oftentimes mistaken for the Great White, with the ability to swim in as little as two feet of either salt or fresh water. She doesn't believe me, goes home and looks up this information only to discover its accuracy and truth. This resulted in her newfound fear of water, which (by the way) was not my intention. So, here she is visiting on a separate occasion when I launch into another story about something or other (I forget what) but she stops me. She does not want to hear it, whatever it is, for fear she’ll abandon doing something else she once enjoyed as the result of whatever it is I have to say. The funny thing is... I think it had to do with online dating or something. Well, I guess that is pretty frightening when you think about it. Sure, you know someone who met someone online and now their married. Well, before we all place faith in “that system” let’s see how long their marriage lasts, shall we? Anyway, I digress…
Allow me to introduce the BULL SHARK (Carcharhinus leucas). This shark is perhaps the deadliest when it comes to shark attacks… reason being, they can swim in such shallow waters thereby putting swimmers, divers, and surfers at greater risk than other “man-eaters,” such as the Great White, Tiger and Hammerhead. It is not that the Bull sets out to target and kill a human. In fact, the Bull’s eyesight is better than ours and their sense of smell can detect a drop of blood a quarter-of-a-mile away. It is confusion that is accountable. The Bull shark, aptly named for their blunt snout, habitually warns their prey with a head-butt before attacking and normally feeds upon other fish, sharks, dolphins, stingrays, pretty much anything in its path that is edible. Unfortunately for humans, sometime we get in their way and an arm or leg is mistaken as a fish.
Another reason humans are at greater risk for attack by a Bull Shark over any other shark is their adaptability to fresh water. Their blood is able to release its salt concentration by up to 50% providing them the ability to swim in rivers, estuaries, and lakes. How do they get there? Perhaps when a flood occurs breaching barricades, a shark enters and misses its chance to leave before the waters recede. Most sharks would certainly die but, in the case of the Bull (and River Shark – a true fresh water shark), it could actually maintain and multiply upon reaching sexual maturation, occurring between 8 - 10 years old (assuming another of the opposite sex is patrolling the same waters), thereby creating schools or pairs of sharks in the strangest of places… like for instance, Lake Michigan. Bulls have been found as far as 1200 miles up the Mississippi River, the Amazon, along the shores of New Jersey, Massachusetts and elsewhere around the world. These creatures have the sustainability to survive (unless man destroys them first). Fortunately for them, they are not at high risk as of yet, although studies do show a decrease in numbers and more than likely there will continue to be a decline for years to come. But for now, they’re safe. Question is, are you?
Copyright © 2009 Alyssa Polacsek, Lakota Films, LLC & Natural Child Blog
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