Yes, sharks love to be pet. Just like humans and many other animals. Sharks are quite shy creatures, but you will know they have accepted you when they swim towards you. If they come over with an open mouth, that is just to signify that you should tickle their tongue.
Sharks are covered in dermal denticles, a neat scientific term that roughly translates to "tiny skin teeth." The texture is often likened to sandpaper. Pumice stone and a particularly rough cat's tongue also are apt comparisons.
Most sharks are not dangerous to humans — people are not part of their natural diet. Despite their scary reputation, sharks rarely ever attack humans and would much rather feed on fish and marine mammals. Only about a dozen of the more than 300 species of sharks have been involved in attacks on humans.
You have to use two fingers when you pet a shark. You line them up side by side. Then gently place them in the tank. Let the shark come to you.
Is it OK to touch a shark? While it may be tempting, Julie Andersen of Shark Angels says that divers should resist the urge to touch sharks. Julie Andersen — one of Scuba Diving's 2012 Sea Heroes — is founder and executive director of Shark Angels, a U.S. nonproft dedicated to protection of sharks.
Whale Shark
Whale sharks are among the friendliest shark species, if not the friendliest. They have been known for giving divers trips on their backs, and baby whale sharks are known to interact with humans.
TONIC IMMOBILITY IN SHARKS
When sharks are rubbed on the nose they can enter a state of tonic immobility. Experts believe it is related to mating in sharks. It can be induced without causing any apparent stress to animals. Sharks can remain in a tonic state for up to 15 minutes.
In addition to those we have – sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste – sharks have two other senses, mediated by specialized receptors: electroreceptors and lateral lines. A shark's most acute sense, the one it may use to detect prey from the greatest distance, is probably its sense of hearing.
One of the most common and least dangerous sharks is the nurse shark. Nurse sharks are docile sharks and they grow to a maximum of 15ft long, compared to the equally-as-gentle whale shark (which can grow to around 62ft)!
It is Safe to Swim with Sharks
Even when diving with more aggressive sharks like bull sharks and great white sharks, you will be entirely secure if you go with an experienced, knowledgeable dive team. People swim with sharks every day without incident, so you have nothing to be afraid of if you swim with them.
What does a shark attack feel like? While each survivor describes the experience differently, a common description from shark attack survivors is the attack feels similar to being punched or bumped. Some survivors have even recounted no pain at all!
Scientists say research off Mexico's Guadalupe Island in the Pacific Ocean shows great white sharks are sociable and will sometimes work together to increase their chances of catching prey. Their findings were published Wednesday in the journal Biology Letters.
Porbeagles are one of the only shark species known to engage in playful behavior, just like dogs! They've been observed pushing floating objects and kelp around and chasing each other.
They discovered that certain copper compounds, like copper acetate, when combined with other ingredients, could mimic the odor of a dead shark and drive live sharks away from human beings in the water.
FACT: Sharks know the difference between fish and human blood and, while they can smell our blood, it is not a scent they associate with food. Scientific experiments have repeatedly shown that sharks have no interest in human blood.
In general, sharks prefer to eat fish, squid and crustaceans.
They're often portrayed in books and movies as smiling. But scientists say it's not likely sharks can or do smile. Unlike dogs, monkeys and dolphins, sharks are fish. And, in sharks and other fish, the parts of the brain related to feelings aren't developed enough to produce a smile, according to scientists.
2) Sharks always seem to be smiling. Are they happy? Sharks don't communicate their moods through facial expressions, so what we see as a smile is a result of us interpreting how we as humans express happiness. Though some shark species are known to express themselves through what are called agonistic behaviors.
A new study from a multi-institutional group of researchers shows female sand tiger sharks are loyal to specific shipwrecks off the North Carolina coast. Sand tiger sharks don't look like the friendliest bunch.
Stay as still as possible while waiting, as long as the shark is not actively attacking you; and get into the boat as quickly as possible, once the boat reaches you. If you are near shore, swim quickly, but smoothly.
PUSH: Is it necessary to have a more forceful response, it is OK to push a shark as long as one does not hit the animal. Pushing is always recommended should a shark approach in a frontal manner. MOVE: If a shark comes back a few more times, and one starts to feel threatened, one should move towards the shark.