11 Facts About Sharks

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1. There are more than 465 different types of sharks in the world.^[Defenders of the Wild. "Basic Facts About Sharks." Web Accessed April 5, 2015.]
2. Great whites can detect one drop of blood in 25 gal (100 L) of water and can sense even tiny amounts of blood in the water up to 3 mi (5 km) away.^[National Geographic. "Great White Sharks." Web Accessed April 5, 2015.]
3. Your odds of getting attacked and killed by a shark are 1 in 3,748,067. In a lifetime, you are more likely to die from fireworks or lightning. Whereas over 100 million sharks are killed every year by humans.^[International Wildlife Museum. "What are the odds of a shark attack?" Web Accessed April 5, 2015.]
4. Sharks are killed by the millions annually to supply demand for their fins, which are made into soup and eaten as a status symbol. Such demand for fins has led to overfishing and illegal fishing, depleting shark populations worldwide. Conservationists dedicate their lives to protecting animals like sharks. Send them a thank-you note for protecting species being illegally killed. Sign up for Wildlife Cards.^[Edmonds, Molly. "Shark Facts vs. Shark Myths." World Wildlife Fund. Web Accessed April 5, 2015.]
5. The film Jaws — though heavily fictionalized — was based on a real incident in 1916, where four people were killed by a shark off the coast of New Jersey.^[Shark Guardian Shark and Marine Conservation Projects Worldwide. "Shark Facts – Shark Guardian top 100." Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
6. Great white sharks eat 11 tons of food a year while the average human eats closer to half a ton of food each year.^[Shark Guardian Shark and Marine Conservation Projects Worldwide. "Shark Facts – Shark Guardian top 100." Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
7. Whale sharks are the world’s biggest fish.^[National Geographic. "Whale Sharks." Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
8. Sharks mature slowly and reach reproductive age anywhere from 12 to 15 years.^[Defenders of the Wild. "Basic Facts About Sharks." Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
9. Sharks have been swimming in the ocean for more than 400 million years.^[Shark Guardian Shark and Marine Conservation Projects Worldwide. "Shark Facts – Shark Guardian top 100." Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
10. Hammerhead sharks' eyes are on the sides of their heads, so they have nearly a 360-degree sight line. Their panoramic view of the undersea world is inhibited by two blind spots, one in front of the snout and the other directly behind the head.^[Discovery News. "Hammerhead Sharks Have Stereo Vision." 2013. Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
11. Sharks predate the dinosaurs by 200 million years.^[Defenders of the Wild. "Basic Facts About Sharks." Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]