Hey there! I want to share something really cool with you. My friend in Florida loves going to the beach to collect shark teeth. Can you believe it? Sharks lose over 30,000 teeth in their lifetime! But don’t worry, it’s not a big deal for them. Unlike humans who have two rows of teeth, some sharks, like the bull shark, have up to 14 rows. When they lose a tooth, a new one just moves forward. Isn’t that amazing?
My friend Melody had a great question: Do sharks really want to eat people? To find out, we asked Danni Washington, an ocean expert. Danni loves studying sharks and even swims with them! She says that even though some sharks, like bull sharks, are known to be dangerous, they usually leave people alone.
Many stories and movies make sharks seem scary, but in reality, they don’t usually bother humans. For example, surfers often have sharks swimming nearby without even knowing it. Sharks notice them but don’t care. If sharks wanted to eat people, they’d be biting all the time, but they don’t. In fact, you’re more likely to get hurt by a vending machine than a shark!
So, if sharks aren’t interested in eating us, why do they sometimes bite? One idea is that sharks might mistake us for animals they usually eat, like seals. A surfer in a wetsuit can look like a seal to a shark. But experts are learning more about sharks and think there’s another reason.
Sharks have incredible senses. They can see underwater as well as we see above water. They can even see well in the dark! Sharks also have tiny holes along their bodies that help them feel movements in the water. Plus, they can sense electrical signals from muscles moving. This means sharks are really good at knowing what’s around them.
Because of these senses, experts believe sharks are too smart to confuse us with their prey. Instead, they think sharks might bite out of curiosity. Just like we pick up interesting things to look at, sharks use their teeth to explore. Their teeth are like fingers, and they might give a little nibble to see what something is. But even a small nibble from a shark can cause damage because their teeth are sharp and they’re very strong.
So, should we stay out of the ocean because of sharks? No way! The ocean is a beautiful place full of amazing experiences like jumping over waves, snorkeling, and exploring coral reefs. Sharks don’t want to eat us, but we should respect their home. We can do this by taking care of the ocean and learning skills like swimming and snorkeling. Maybe one day, you’ll even become a shark expert!
Thanks for joining me on this shark adventure. Remember, there are mysteries all around us, so stay curious and keep exploring!
Shark Teeth Hunt: Next time you visit a beach, go on a shark teeth hunt! Look for small, triangular shapes in the sand. If you can’t go to a beach, create your own “beach” at home using a sandbox or a tray filled with sand. Bury small objects like pebbles or toy teeth and have fun digging them out. Discuss why sharks lose so many teeth and how they grow new ones.
Shark Senses Experiment: Try to experience the world like a shark! Close your eyes and have a friend or family member make gentle movements around you. Can you sense where they are without seeing them? This activity helps you understand how sharks use their senses to detect movements in the water. Talk about how sharks’ senses are different from ours and why they are important for survival.
Curiosity Bites: Think about a time when you were curious about something new. What did you do to learn more about it? Draw a picture or write a short story about your experience. Discuss how sharks might use their teeth to explore things they are curious about, just like we use our hands to touch and learn.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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(phone ringing)(phone bongs) – Hi, it’s Doug. I have a friend in Florida who told me something really interesting. She said that she loves going to the beach to collect these. Can you guess what they are? They’re shark teeth. You can find them in the sand at beaches like this one in Florida. Sharks lose over 30,000 teeth in a lifetime, but for them, it’s no big deal. You see, while humans only have two rows of teeth, some sharks, like this bull shark, can have up to 14 rows of teeth. Whenever they lose a tooth, a new one just moves forward in its place. So cool!
Someone named Melody has a question about sharks. Let’s give Melody a call now. (phone ringing)(phone bongs) – Hi, Doug. – Hi, Melody. – I have a question for you. Do sharks really want to eat people? – Oh, that’s a great question, and I know the perfect person to answer it. Her name is Danni Washington, and she’s an ocean expert. Let’s give Danni a call now. (phone ringing)(phone bongs) – Hey Doug, I hear you have a question for me. – I do. And it’s a good one. Melody wants to know, do sharks really want to eat people? – Oh, what a cool question. I love studying sharks. In fact, I just paid some sharks a visit. (water bubbling) Yup, that’s me diving off the coast of Mexico. And those are sharks, and not just any sharks, they’re bull sharks, some of the most dangerous sharks of all, but you know what? They pretty much left me alone.
Now that might be surprising to some of you, because most of the stories we read and movies we see about sharks can make them seem like these mean, scary creatures that just want to attack everything in sight. But there I was swimming with them, and I’m still here to talk about it. Before I go on, I’m curious. What do you think? Do you think most sharks, if given a chance, would try to eat a person?
Okay, you ready? Whether they realize it or not, swimmers are around sharks more than they think. Check it out. These surfers, see that shark swimming next to them? That’s a great white, and the surfers don’t even know it’s there, but guess what? The shark notices them, and it doesn’t even care. It’s just letting them surf. There are sharks like this one all over, even close to shore. That’s why shark experts think they’re not at all interested in humans as food, and it makes sense. Think about the massive number of people who swim in the ocean every day. If sharks were interested in eating us as food, they would be biting people all the time, but they’re not. Sharks hardly ever hurt humans. In fact, you have a higher chance of being hurt at a vending machine than you do being hurt by a shark. I’m serious.
Okay, now I don’t want you to think that sharks aren’t dangerous at all, and that you can just jump in the water and give them all big hugs. Oh no. When I swim with sharks, I have to be really careful and respectful of them because sharks do attack humans sometimes. But most of the time, they don’t want to eat us at all.
Okay, so wait a second, if sharks aren’t interested in eating us, then why do they bite people sometimes? It’s a great question. Well, one idea shark experts came up with was maybe when sharks bite humans, they’re just mistaking us for animals they do want to eat. For example, sharks love eating seals. So maybe sharks can’t see very well in the water, and they think we’re seals. I mean, a surfer in a wetsuit does kind of look like a seal, right? So that would explain why shark attacks on people are so rare. It’s not something sharks are doing on purpose, but shark experts have started to notice new clues, and that’s causing them to change their minds about sharks accidentally thinking we’re food.
Okay, one clue? Their amazing senses. Sharks, especially great white sharks like this one, have amazing vision. In fact, they can see as well underwater as humans see above the water, and like cats, they can especially see well in the dark and in cloudy waters or at night. But even if sharks couldn’t see at all, they still could find things in the water. You know why? Well, you can’t see it here, but sharks have a long line of tiny holes running along the middle of their bodies. These holes feel movements in the water. So when a fish or a seal or a human is splashing even a little bit, the shark can sense it and knows exactly where they are. Oh, and that’s not all, every time we move, our muscles send off a small electrical signal. Now we can’t feel these electrical signals at all, but sharks can. They can sense the electricity through small holes on their head. So when a fish or a human is splashing around in the water and sending off electrical signals, they feel it and they know where it’s coming from.
Because of these amazing senses, shark experts are starting to think that sharks are just way too smart and good at hunting to confuse us with their prey, like seals. So some experts have a new theory or idea about why sharks might bite. Have you ever seen something interesting on the ground, like a colorful rock or a shiny coin? You were probably curious. And if you’re like me, you probably picked it up and looked at it. Like us, animals are so smart and they seem to want to explore their surroundings like us and find out more about the things around them. And sharks are the same way. They see something unfamiliar in the water, they want to find out what it is, just like us, but they don’t have hands, so they have to check things out another way. See those teeth? Oh yeah. Sharks use those teeth like we use our hands. Their teeth are kind of like fingers. They even bend back, like our fingers do. So, a new idea that shark experts have is that maybe sharks bite people because they’re just curious. Yes. And when sharks are curious about something like a surfboard or a swimmer, they’ll swim up to it and give it a nibble and then just spit it out. Of course, those teeth are pretty sharp and sharks are really strong, so even one little nibble can do a lot of damage. Like check out this surfboard. (Danni grunts) Yikes! And look at this shark biting this boat. Okay, I know that looks kind of scary.
So should we avoid the ocean altogether and never, ever swim where there are sharks? No, not at all. The ocean is amazing and beautiful. Just think of all the experiences you would miss out on if you avoided the ocean because of sharks. Experiences like jumping over waves or snorkeling, or even exploring coral reefs. Sharks don’t want to eat us, but we do need to respect their environment. And we can do that by taking care of their home, the ocean, and learning skills like swimming and snorkeling and scuba diving. And maybe even going with guides who are shark experts, so we can learn from them. And who knows, maybe one day you’ll become one of those shark experts yourself. That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks for asking, Melody.
– [Doug] Now for the next episode, I reached into our question jar and picked out three questions sent into us that we’re thinking about answering next. When this video is done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from “Why do some people get car sick?”, “Who invented desks?”, or “How do fireflies glow?” So submit your vote when the video is over. We want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious and see you next week.
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