With their gentle ways and fetching spots, whale sharks are crowd-pleasing creatures. But did you know that they can give birth to over 300 pups at a time? Or that they can be as big as a school bus? This International Whale Shark Day, learn some amazing facts about these giant filter-feeders — and why … Read more
Compared to its sporty relatives, the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is a real clunker: Blind, plodding and unlucky in the looks department. But like the proverbial tortoise racing the hare, this cold-loving species proves that sloth can be a recipe for success. Big and bad Greenland sharks suffer from a toxic reputation — literally. Like … Read more
For a cold-blooded shark, Arctic seas must be an exercise in frustration. These icy waters teem with fatty fish and blubbery mammals, but the conditions are so frigid that a shark’s metabolism slows to a crawl. You can’t eat what you’re too slow to catch. But for the high-octane porbeagle shark, a catalog of anatomical tricks let it stay hot-blooded — … Read more
A fast and agile predator, the spinner shark feeds unlike any other shark species by spinning out of the water in quick bursts of speed to catch a meal. This slender shark is often mistaken for a blacktip shark because its fins have gray or black tips. The spinner shark has a worldwide distribution and … Read more
If sharks went to high school, we have a pretty good idea what each would be known for. In every class, there’s always an epic gossip, a great athlete, or in the thresher shark’s case, a champion chef really able to “whip” up a meal with its tail. This Shark Week, let’s recognize sharks for … Read more
Paper folding is a popular Japanses tradition dating back centuries. It has even been said that these ornate paper creations have wish-granting powers to its artists. Click here to download the step-by-step tutorial on how to fold an origami shark in honor of Shark Week. Download the tutorial here. Or, watch the video to see up-close … Read more
With their snaggletooth gape and pointed stare, sand tiger sharks don’t exactly scream “social butterfly.” Sharks aren’t generally known for their social tendencies, but there is increasing scientific evidence that this view is incorrect. In fact, research presented this week at the 2016 Ocean Sciences conference in New Orleans reveals that sand tiger sharks (Carcharias … Read more
The zebra shark is a large, distinctive shark that lives in shallow coral reef habitats in tropical waters where they can wriggle into narrow crevices and caves in search of food. Its appearance, which changes as the shark reaches maturity, has caused confusion among divers who often mistake it for the leopard shark. While the … Read more
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We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.