Final Friday Top Five!

When I started this blog, one of the first things I said was that I am a massive shark nerd. Now, I haven't really done much to show this - plushies, bling and tattoos aside. So I thought this top five could be dedicated to my top five sharks. As most of the reasons are "I think sharks are 😍😍", I will include a fact on them too.

Top Five Sharks

5. Black Tip Reef Shark

Photo from Monterey Bay Aquarium

It would be a little weird if I didn't include the shark I have permenanty inked on my skin in the top five. I just think these sharks are iconic; they are your typical shark shape, but they have the black tips to make them just that little bit different and recognisable. I'm fairly certain we had a toy one when I was a child; so the love must have started at an early age! These sharks are sleek, nocturnal, and curious things - known for stealing spears from fishermen!

Fact: Their iconic black tip is part of their camouflage. 

4. Goblin Shark

Photo from Nat Geo Kids

These sharks are so freaky! And proof that evolution is a weird and wonderful thing. They live in constant darkness, so they have evolved a long snout covered in the ampullae di Lorenzini which pick up the electrical signals from their prey. They can't see them but they can sense them accurately enough to extend their jaws to gobble them up. Isn't that brilliant?! And they figured this out millions of years ago, they have remained unchanged for longer than man has been on this planet. I'm not going to lie, these guys are scary looking mofos. We had a game on the Wii called Endless Ocean and at one point you have to venture into the abyss. The moment when this ugly bugger jumps out of you scared the bejessus out of us!

Fact: Goblin sharks bruise easily thanks to their softer and flabbier skin than most sharks have. (I feel this, I bruise like a peach!)

3. Pygmy Lanternshark or Dwarf Lanternshark

 

Photo from Nat Geo

I tried really hard to not say this on all of them (I managed two!) but can I just say: So. Cute! It's so cute! Look at it. Look at it!

Ok, now that is out of my system. *ahem*

These are one of the smallest sharks out there and they are phosphorescent! They glow in the dark. Did I mention they were cute? I love the idea of pygmy sharks. It boggles my mind, really. The immediate image "shark" brings to mind is a big, three metre beast all muscle and teeth. I love sharks and do not think they pose anywhere near as much as a threat to humans as the media suggests, but that is the image. But these little guys are no bigger than 27cm (10.6in). If they swam teeth first it would be less than intimidating. I think these guys need more media attention, if only to debunk the myth. And also, that aforementioned cuteness.

Fact: They were only discovered in 1985

2. Cookie-Cutter Shark

 

Photo from Scary Nature YouTube

First of all, that name! Cookie-Cutter Shark! These adorably named deep sea sharks get their name from the bite mark they leave behind. Being a smaller species of shark, they do not need to kill their prey to get their dinner. They clamp onto something big - a whale, other sharks, even a submarine or two (not that they are filling) - then swivel its teeth until it has a nice mouthful of food; then it just swims off. Most of their prey don't even notice the missing bite from their side. Isn't nature fun?! There is so much variety in sharks and I think these guys are the embodiment of that.

Fact: There are two species of cookie-cutter. The smaller of the two, Large-Tooth Cookie-Cutter Shark, has the biggest teeth in relation to its size out of any shark.

Honourable Mentions:

Tassleback Wobbegongs

Tiger Sharks

Zebra Sharks

1. Great White Shark

 

Photo of Big Blue from PBS

 

Of course my favourite shark is the Great White. Did you really expect anything else? I travelled half the world to see these sharks in the flesh. They are the OG awesome shark and I will not hear otherwise. They are peak shark. Ok, I'm derailing into modern colloquialisms I only half understand. What I am trying to say is they are the most shark a shark can be. Make more sense?

They are magnificent creatures. They have such power because they are all muscle. And boy do they show that off when they breach the water while hunting seals. I didn't get to see that - I think I might have fainted from the sheer awesome of it all. And I will be forever grateful to these sharks and that trip, because it changed my life. It was the catalyst for a lot of changes I made, so they have that going for them too.

Plus, there is so much we still don't know about them. Like their breeding habits. Where do they go? They travel extensive distances and most of it deep underwater. They are great hunks of mystery and I think that is brilliant.

Fact: They are one of a handful of sharks which are warm-blooded. This helps them digest their fatty diet of seals (not people).

Bonus picture! One I took in Gansbaai