Why Sharks Are Less Terrifying (And More Important) Than You Think

Arguably more than any other creature that inhabits land or sea, sharks have a tendency to conjure images of terror in our minds. When you think shark, you’ll likely imagine row upon row of razor-sharp teeth, eyes that are as black as they are soulless, and the blood-curdling screams and crimson-tinted oceans that are synonymous with many movie portrayals.

But while these majestic predators are master hunters — honed by 450 million years of evolution, no less — is this reputation as blood-thirsty killers warranted? Should we, as humans, be as fearful of sharks as we’ve been conditioned to be?

In this post, we’ll discover why sharks aren’t actually as terrifying as you might think, and why they in fact play a vital role in protecting our oceans. 

Why sharks aren’t actually that scary

While Jaws and its sequels suggested that sharks are ‘man-eaters’ that hold onto grudges — and the Sharknado series taught us that sharks and freak weather events are rarely a good mix — the reality is that, as humans, we have little reason to fear sharks at all. Of course, encountering a shark in its natural habitat would undeniably be unnerving (and some species do have the capacity to attack humans), but they’re not the ‘demons’ they’re often made out to be. 

Attacks on humans are rare

You’ve likely heard the argument that you’re more likely to be killed by a lightning strike (or indeed, a falling coconut) than you are to be fatally attacked by a shark, but these ‘statistics’ should be taken with at least a small helping of salt. That said, shark attacks — particularly of the fatal variety — are pretty uncommon: in 2021, for example, there were 73 unprovoked bites on humans, with just 9 of these resulting in a fatality. 

We shouldn’t simply dismiss these statistics (that’s 9 families that have lost loved ones, after all), but they serve to highlight the discrepancy between the way sharks are often portrayed in the mainstream media (as savage predators intent only on devouring all in their path) and the reality of their relationship with humans. 

The majority of sharks are harmless

There are over 500 species of shark, and of these, only 3 (the bull shark, the tiger shark, and the much-feared great white shark) have reached double figures when it comes to the number of fatal attacks on humans. In fact, only 11 shark species are thought to be responsible for at least one fatal attack, which means that as many as 98% of species theoretically present no — or at least, very little — danger to humans.

Size doesn’t necessarily equal scary, either. Take the two largest shark species — the colossal whale shark (the largest fish in the ocean) and the basking shark, a regular visitor to British shores. Despite weighing in at roughly 9 and 4.5 tonnes respectively, these are very much gentle giants; both whale sharks and their slightly smaller cousins are filter feeders, meaning they dine mostly on plankton and pose zero threat to human swimmers.

They have more reason to fear us

Really? Well yes, the statistics paint a pretty stark picture when you consider the number of sharks that are killed — either directly or indirectly — by human activity each year, compared to the other way around: while the number of humans killed by sharks each year rarely hits double figures, humans are responsible for the deaths of over 100 million sharks annually. That’s around 200 sharks killed every minute.

Primarily threatened by overfishing (sharks are often caught and killed for their fins, owing to a demand for the ‘delicacy’ known as shark fin soup), many shark species have very slow reproductive systems, making them increasingly vulnerable to extinction. The number of sharks in our oceans has plummeted by over 70% in just half a century. 

Why sharks are vitally important

Not only is their fearsome reputation somewhat unearned, but sharks also play an essential role within the ocean’s delicate ecosystem. An ocean without sharks simply doesn’t bear thinking about, since the absence of these enigmatic predators would likely have a catastrophic impact on their surroundings. 

They keep ocean populations balanced

Most (not all) species of shark are considered apex predators, which means they sit atop the ocean’s food chain. And with great power, they say, comes great responsibility: as a ‘keystone’ species, sharks are responsible for keeping the marine ecosystem in perfect balance, ensuring the predatory species they prey on maintain a healthy and stable population. 

Without sharks keeping the numbers in check, we’d likely see further degradation of reefs, for instance, as mid-level predators would increase in number while herbivorous populations would fall — with fewer algae-consuming fish, the reefs would become overwhelmed and less able to recover from threats such as bleaching.

They’re the ‘doctors’ of the sea

The term doctor is used loosely here, but sharks are known to keep marine populations genetically healthy as well as numerically-balanced. That’s because they’ll often pick out and eradicate the weakest and sickest members of the fish or marine mammal population, reducing the chance of disease spreading. Not only do sharks expel less energy that way (because weak or dying prey is easier to catch), but they inadvertently play a key role in the overall health of the ecosystem. 

They’re important for research

Sharks have survived more-or-less unchanged since long before the dinosaurs came and went, so it’s clear they must be doing something right: boasting a number of sophisticated evolutionary advantages, sharks are even helping to advance scientific and medical research. 

For instance, a shark’s skin (known as dermal denticles, or literally ‘skin teeth’) not only helps to make them exceptional swimmers by reducing drag, but it’s also thought to have antimicrobial properties. Olympic swimmers have gained unfair advantages using suits inspired by shark skin ‘technology’, while even some hospitals have introduced bacteria-repellent surfaces which replicate the texture of a shark’s skin. 

So, while most of us remain fearful of sharks, there’s clear evidence to suggest they’re not nearly as frightening as we’ve been led to believe: most shark species pose no threat to humans whatsoever, while they have around 100 million more reasons to fear us as we do them. And while the notoriety they’ve gained is largely unwarranted, they’re also more important to the future of our planet than many of us likely realise.