Sharks, out of all the various strange and surreal marine creatures, have the worst reputation with humans. This is partially due to the media over sensationalising shark attacks, along with films portraying them as ferocious, terrifying beasts. Just think of movies such as Jaws and its ominous theme song, or the shark tank in the James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me. So, it should come as no surprise to discover that the majority of humans fear and loathe these ‘cold blooded killing machines’.
Different Opinions
What you probably don’t know is those who have lost the most to sharks, the victims of shark attacks, have turned out to be their strongest advocates. Wait, what? Shark attack victims are advocating for their attackers’ protection and for marine conservation? Yes, you read that right.
Shark Week
Discovery Channel has one week out of each year dedicated to sharks, with the week of 10 August 2014 being the starting date for this years one. View their promotional clip for this year, showcasing the brief appearance of “Snuffy the Seal” – as it is a promotional clip for Shark Week, please note it is not for sensitive viewers, as any week for seals with sharks around is guaranteed to be a bad week.
On 14th of August 2012, they aired Shark Fight – the shark bite survivors’ view on what happened. Click here to view the introduction to the documentary, but please note that as above, this short clip is not suitable for sensitive viewers. It should be noted that only four sharks out of the several dozen species who inhabit our oceans are responsible for unprovoked attacks on humans.
In the full documentary, victims who have lost limbs and miraculously survived the attack, tell their side of the story. Despite their initial reactions of overwhelming rage, sadness, and horror at what had occurred, each of the speakers finally reached a point of acceptance, and even understanding. The majority of survivors took a while to come to the conclusion that sharks aren’t the villains in their story. Some of them only discovered this after conversely killing their first shark, and noting it gave them no pleasure. After all, the ocean is their home, not ours.
Empathy
We all have the ability to empathise, and none have displayed this trait better than these brave shark-bite survivors. There’s no condemnation in their voices, and only forgiveness in their eyes – in fact listening to their stories reveals one of the many apexes of human compassion. The ability to look at nature and wildlife, and keep what happened in perspective.
The United Nations, the United States Congress, and Presidents of numerous countries have received calls and petitions from shark attack survivors. These shark advocates are rallying support for their cause, and many world leaders are starting to listen – Honduras, Palau, and the Marshall Islands have all declared their waters to be Shark sanctuaries. As such, no commercial shark fishing is allowed, and any shark caught within these waters must be released. These shark-bite survivors, and participating countries and republics, have joined the Pew Environment Group.
A list of victim-turned-advocates includes: Chuck Anderson, Mike Beach, Kent Bonde, Laurie Boyett, Al Brenneka, Mike Coots, Scott Curatolo-Wagemann, Paul de Gelder, Achmat Hassiem, and Krishna Thompson. They were attacked in different waters around the globe, most notably off-shore while in Australia, Europe, South Africa, and the United States. Listen to their stories by clicking here. Again, please note these links are not suitable for sensitive viewers.
Let us know your thoughts on this situation, and whether you or anyone you know has joined into this small, but growing cause.
Main image credited to Terry Goss (Creative Commons)
