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The first International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 64 species of sharks as endangered. Sharks take decades to sexually mature, have a long gestational period, and produce few young. Sharks are hunted for food, especially in Asian countries where shark fin soup is a delicacy and cartilage and other organs are used for medicinal purposes. Shark skin is also tanned and used for everything from shoes to furniture. Below are a few of the 64 endangered species of sharks.

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Common belief at the time was that family members could offer up their recently deceased to become sharks. The deceased were believed to then undergo a transformation into a shark. A Kahuna, or sorcerer, would be able to differentiate which shark was formerly a loved one by markings on the shark that corresponded to the deceased's clothing. The family put great trust into this shark, known as a aumakua and referred to by the deceased's name. They trusted this shark to guide fish to their nets and to protect them from danger.

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Sharks have been on this planet for over three hundred million years. That means that sharks were swimming around Earth’s oceans for about two hundred million years before the first dinosaurs and two hundred ninety-nine million, eight hundred thousand years before the first humans ever roamed the earth.

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Ancient Hawaiians had several shark gods in their mythology. Some of these gods include but are not limited to:
°Ka'ahupahau
°Kane'apua
°Keali'ikau 'o Ka'u
°Kuhaimoana
°Kamohoalii (pictured below)

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Ancient inhabitants of Fiji worshipped a fierce sea god known as Dakuwaqa. According to legend, Dakuwaqa was a fierce protector of the island's reef entrance. He would frequently transform himself into a shark to patrol the waters and battle other sea gods. One day, the octopus sea god Kadavu grew tired of Dakuwaqa and decided to challenge him. Kadavu wrapped four tentacles around the reef to secure himself and used the other four tentacles to fight. Kadavu wrapped the shark god in a head lock so strong that he could not escape no matter how hard he fought. Eventually, the shark god gave up. The octopus god agreed to release him, but only on two conditions. The first condition was that Dakuwaqa needed to stop being angry; the second was he stopped harassing the other animals. Dakuwaqa agreed, and from that moment on he protected the reef, all the creatures who lived there, and the human divers who visited. To this day, modern fishermen pour a local beverage into the waters for Dakuwaqa to ensure his protection.

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According to legend, Ina was in love with Tinirau, god of the ocean. Tinirau lived on a floating island. One day, in an attempt to get to him, Ina jumped into the ocean over and over, but, every time she jumped, the gigantic waves would carry her back to shore. She asked some fish to help her swim, but the fish were too small to carry her. She grew very frustrated and beat the fish, marking them permanently. Islanders say this is how the angel fish got their black stripes. Eventually a shark agreed to carry Ina across the ocean to her love.

For the journey, Ina brought some coconuts. Eventually, she became thirsty. The shark rose its dorsal fin out of the water so she could use it to crack the coconut open. She cracked the coconut open, drank it's milk, and was satisfied. She then relieved herself on the shark, who became very angry and warned her not to do that again. Local say this is why shark meat smells like urine.

After some time, Ina became thirsty again. This time, she cracked the coconut over the shark's head. Some versions of the story say this is how the Hammerhead shark was born. Other versions day this is why sharks have a bump on their head. To this day, this bump in referred to as Ina's bump.

Reeling in pain from the coconut, the shark bumps Ina off. Some versions say he ate her. Other versions say that the shark left her struggling to swim in the ocean until Teka the Great, king of all sharks, rose from the ocean to rescue her and deliver her to her true love.

The legend of Ina is so popular in the Cook Islands that an illustration of the story was put on a commemorative bank note in 1992 (pictured below).

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South Pacific Natives and the Origin of the Shark Tooth Necklace

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South Pacific Natives and the Origin of the Shark Tooth Necklace

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Back when the seas were still being filled with rain, a man eating shark challenged the God of the Sea, Ohav-Lai, for supremacy. The battle raged on for an entire day until eventually Ohav-Lai emerged from the sea wearing one of the man eating shark's teeth around his neck. The natives believe wearing a shark tooth on a necklace brings the wearer a long and prosperous life free from harm. Divers, both ancient and modern, refuse to go in the water without this symbol of protection.

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After reading about all of the ancient Coastal cultures who revered sharks, one has to wonder how our modern Western Society became so afraid of them. Many blame the media and movies such as "Jaws", "12 Days of Terror", and "Deep Blue Sea". Well these movies have definitely started a fear of sharks in recent generations, a fear of sharks actually goes back to ancient times.

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A vase found in Ischia, Italy dated to 725 BC depicts what appears to be a shark attack. The artwork on the vase shows a large fish, apparently an early rendering of a shark, eating a man.

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The first written account of an attack by a marine animal was recorded in Greece in 492 BC. Although many have speculated the culprit in this tale is a shark, there is no way to definitively know since the was not a word for shark in Greek at that time and life-like illustrations of sharks did not exist until the 15th century AD.

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Although the lyric poet Leonidas of Tarentum lived in Italy, much of his work has been incorporated into Greek mythology. One such story is of the sponge-fisher Tharsys who, while getting back into his boat after a dive, was bitten in half by a sea monster. Tharsys's companions drug him aboard the boat white the monster drug his lower half into the sea. Tharsys did not survive, and his companions buried what was left of him upon their return. The poet beautifully notes that Tharsys is buried both at land and at sea. Since no word for shark existed in this language at this time, there is no way of knowing if the monster in the story is indeed a shark, though that is the popular opinion. Also, since Leonidas of Tarentum was a story-teller, it is very likely this event did not actually take place.

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Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist who lived from 23 A.D. – 79 A.D., described sharks as sea creatures who attacked pearl hunters. His work was valued for centuries. Pictured below is the title page of a book of his work printed in 169 AD.

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Historia Naturalis, Pliny the Elder, 1669 edition's title page

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The Aztec civilization, which existed in modern day Mexico from 1100 to 1200 AD, feared sharks. While fishing in the ocean, Aztecs would hang chilis from their canoes to ward off sharks.

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Zakariya Qazwini, a judge living in modern day Iraq, compiled a book entitled "The Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existence" in 1270 AD. Topics covered in this book range from geology and astronomy to superstition and fantasy. Qazwini divided the known universe into the sections: the Heavens, Water, and the Earth. In the Water section, Qazwini described the sharks that inhabited the Tigris River and the fear they inspired in natives who lived on the banks.

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One of the first ever known depictions of a shark attack was by the Swedish priest Olaus Magnus in his book Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus (History of the Northern Peoples). The accompanying text reads, "Here you have, swimming in the salt seas, a man who is being treacherously and voraciously attacked by a shoal of fish from the shark family... They plunge him down into the depths, not such much with their teeth as by their weight, and devour his tender parts..."

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During a crossing of the Atlantic in 1850, the captain of the Ayrshire fell overboard. The captain's labrador jumped overboard to rescue him. A shark swam straight for the pair. The ship logs for the Ayrshire record the captain and the dog were able to swim back to the ship before the shark. The only injury was to the dog whose tail was bit off.

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In order to assess what my generation knows about sharks, I interviewed 15 of my peers. Here is The Panel:

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Prior to asking any questions, I asked the participants to self-evaluate their prior knowledge of sharks on a scale of one to ten. The median score of knowledge was 5.5.

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10 out of 15, or two-thirds of the participants, watch Shark Week. All participants were instructed not to Google or look up any answers.

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Question 1- What type of animal is a shark

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Question 1- What type of animal is a shark

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All fifteen participants correctly answered that the shark is a fish. Only one, a self proclaimed shark expert, knew that sharks belong to a class of fish called Chondrichthyes. This class of fish is categorised by having paired fins, paired nostrils, jaws, and a skeleton made of cartilage.

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All fifteen participants also knew that although the shark is a fish, they are not related to common fish such as bass or grouper, which are Perciformes. Actual cousins to sharks are rays, skates, and chimeras.

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Question 2- What role do sharks have in their ecosystem

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Question 2- What role do sharks have in their ecosystem

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Every person interviewed knew that sharks held a predatory role in their ecosystems. Only half expanded their answer to include information about how the shark helps balance their ecosystems through population control. Sharks are known as apex predators and play an important role in their environment. By preying on fish in their ecosystem, sharks help weed out the weak and sick. This helps fish populations flourish. Sharks also help maintain species diversity with fellow predators. By competing for food, sharks help other predatory marine life become faster and stronger by weeding out the week.

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Recently, an urban legend has started that sharks are immune to cancer. 13 out of 15 participants did not fall for the ruse and knew that sharks could indeed get cancer.

This urban legend seems to stem from the fact that cartilage has antiangiogenic properties. That is to say that cartilage inhibits the development of blood vessels which are needed for cancerous tumors to develop. Since shark skeletons are composed of cartilage, reason would stand that sharks could not get cancer. This logic, however, is flawed. While sharks and other Chondrichthyes have a very low probability of getting cancer, it is still possible. Studies have found sharks with tumors.

Another shark myth is that ingesting shark cartilage can prevent or cure cancer in humans. This myth is also not true. The antiangiogenic properties found in shark cartilage do not enter the bloodstream when eaten. Therefore, eating the cartilage in any form does not benefit the consumer. Shark cartilage pills and powder remain on the market place nevertheless.

While shark cartilage might not prevent or cure cancer, many cultures around the world use sharks for medicinal purposes. Shark liver is used to make some medicines as well as cosmetics in China. Shark liver is also used for pharmaceuticals in India, and the oil that is not suitable for medicine is used to paint boats.

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Question 4- Do you have any fear of sharks or shark attacks? Why or why

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Question 4- Do you have any fear of sharks or shark attacks? Why or why

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Surprisingly, two-thirds or roughly 66% of participants admitted to fearing sharks. This is even more surprising when you consider that 100% of people who claimed to be afraid of sharks admitted they knew a shark attack was extremely unlikely. In fact, the probability of getting attacked by a shark is 1 in 3,748,067. To put that into perspective, on any given trip to the beach, you are more likely to get struck by lightning (94 in 1,000,000) or drown (1 in 1,134).

Sharks primarily eat smaller fish. Some larger sharks eat marine mammals such as sea lions and seals. Although sharks have a long history with humans, we are not part of their diet. Sharks only attack humans when they are curious or confused.

While many people attribute a fear of sharks to movies such as Jaws, people have had a fear of sharks dating back to before their language had a word for shark. Perhaps our innate fear of sharks is a residual survival instinct.

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The only way to change society's view of sharks is through knowledge. Knowledge can dispell the fear and poaching of these magnificent creatures. While many cultures view sharks as important medicinally, sharks provide a greater contribution to their ecosystem. As mentioned earlier, sharks are crucial for population control and species diversity.

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BioExpedition Publishing. (2017). Sharks in culture. Retrieved from http://www.sharks-world.com/sharks_in_culture
Fear of sharks phobia- Galeophobia or selachophobia. Retrieved from http://www.fearof.net/fear-of-sharks-phobia-galeophobia-or-selachophobia/
Geiling, Natasha. (2013, August 8). The worst shark attack in history. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-worst-shark-attack-in-history-25715092/
Grimoires. (2008). Cosmography: The wonders of creation and the oddities of the existence. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/amp/s/grimoires.wordpress.com/2009/04/17/cosmography-the-wonders-of-creation-and-the-oddities-of-existence/amp/
Howell, Elizabeth. (2015, December 23). How long have humans been on Earth? Retrieved from https://www.universetoday.com/38125/how-long-have-humans-been-on-earth/
Myer, Amelia. (2013). Sharks in mythology. Retrieved from http://www.sharksinfo.com/sharks-in-mythology.html
Palermoo, Elizabeth. (2015, July 16).  Why are people so afraid of sharks? Retrieved from https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.livescience.com/51579-fear-of-sharks-psychology.html
Peschak, Thomas. (2013, October 5). Sharks: Feared or revered- but rarely understood. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/06/sharks-feared-human-activity
Rogers, Mike. (nd). Facts about sharks. Retrieved from https://www.sharksider.com/facts-about-sharks/
Sharkman. (nd). Shark-gods. Retrieved from http://sharkmans-world.eu/gods.html

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Knowledge is key in overcoming this fear. As mentioned before, humans are not sharks typical prey. Some studies even suggest that sharks do not like the taste of human flesh. We need to educate surfers, deep sea fishermen, and others who spend a lot of time near the ocean the most. Good tips to follow to avoid a shark attack are to always swim in groups, stay close t the shoreline, and don’t venture out at night, dusk, or dawn. Also, don’t go into the water if bleeding or wearing shiny jewelry. If a shark attack is imminent, use whatever weapons possible to fend off the shark. It is best to not use bare hands and feet unless absolutely necessary. Concentrate your blows on the eyes, gills, and/or snout.

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Portrayals of sharks in movies have improved. In Finding Nemo, Bruce the great white shark and his two shark friends are trying to reform their ways and be friendly.

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In A Shark's Tale, Lenny the shark is a quiet, kind shark who is embarrassed that he isn't a "typical" shark. He befriends the fish and eventually changes the minds, and hearts, of the rest of his shark family to be friends with the fish as well.

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In Moana, Maui turns into half shark and half man when he tries to shapeshift. Instead of being scary, these scenes are meant

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Hopefully, these positive, and sometimes humorous, portrayals of sharks can inspire a love in this generation far bigger than the fear inspired in generations past