Not if you plan on getting away. Despite the old saying that aiming for the snout is the best strategy, a shark's most sensitive areas are really its eyes and its gills.
A shark's most acute sense, the one it may use to detect prey from the greatest distance, is probably its sense of hearing. Sound travels faster and farther in water than in air. The general structure of a shark's internal ear resembles that of humans, but a shark's is much more sensitive.
Sharks may be fearsome predators, but they have a little weakness: Most can't tolerate fresh water (probably, a good thing to humans). About 40% of bony fish live in fresh water, but only 5% of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) can manage this feat.
Bamboo sharks are considered the least dangerous shark.
If you're being attacked and fighting back, try to avoid the dangerous mouth and go for the gills behind the mouth near the pectoral fins. A good shot to the gills can also do the job: "The gills are very sensitive -- giving a shark a whack in the gills isn't a bad idea."
HANDLING: Do not drag the shark over the rocks or sand. Never pull a shark by the tail or pick it up by the gill slits or spiracles (modified gill slit behind the eyes prominent in skates and rays).
Hit the shark in the face and gills. Your best bet, if attacked, is to make the shark see you as a strong, credible threat. Usually, a hard blow to the shark's gills, eyes or snout (end of its nose) will cause it to retreat. These are really the only vulnerable areas on a shark.
The great white shark, also known as the "white pointer," is the largest and deadliest predatory shark in the ocean.
Just like we check under our beds for monsters, sharks check for dolphins before nodding off. That's right, the toughest kids on the undersea block swim in fear of dolphins.
1. Jaws: Great White Shark. Great white sharks are scary looking and the most aggressive sharks on Earth.
By far the most significant predator of (arguably threat too, as we don't always eat them) sharks is man, with humans considered responsible to significant declines in shark and ray numbers in recent decades.
Fish also have been observed by scientists to learn, have memory and adapt their behavior to new circumstances, arguing for their sentience. Fish are not senseless beasts, and fish feel pain, including sharks.
Basically, this means that in situations when personal deterrents (such as the Ocean Guardian Scuba7) do not prevent bites, shark bite injuries can be reduced through puncture-resistant fabric such as Kevlar neoprene.
Any bodily fluid released into the water is likely detectable by sharks. A shark's sense of smell is powerful – it allows them to find prey from hundreds of yards away. Menstrual blood in the water could be detected by a shark, just like any urine or other bodily fluids.
Many animals, including turtles, rays and many species of sharks, can become vulnerable to harmful bacteria through human contact, leaving them susceptible to disease. These creatures rely on bio-films (a kind of protective slime) to keep out infection, which we can compromise through touch.
Sharks typically attempt to circle behind you to take a bite, so they will feel less comfortable if you keep an eye on them. Keep calm and slowly back away. If none of the above options are viable, you should fight back and focus your attacks on the shark's eyes and gills because of the areas' sensitivity.
Alternatively, divers and swimmers can probably reduce the chance of an interaction with a shark by avoiding bright and highly contrasting swimwear or dive gear. We personally prefer to use dark blue or black fins, mask, tank, and wetsuit while diving.
Sharks can sleep, and often opt to keep their eyes open while they do, according to new research published in Biology Letters. Because some sharks must swim constantly to keep oxygen-rich water flowing over their gills, it has long been rumored that they don't snooze at all.
Megalodons are extinct. They died out about 3.5 million years ago. And scientists know this because, once again, they looked at the teeth. All sharks – including megalodons – produce and ultimately lose tens of thousands of teeth throughout their lives.
The biggest shark in the world
The earliest megalodon fossils (Otodus megalodon, previously known as Carcharodon or Carcharocles megalodon) date to 20 million years ago. For the next 13 million years the enormous shark dominated the oceans until becoming extinct just 3.6 million years ago. O.
Revenge: No shark attacks a human for 'revenge,' but if threatened - like any animal, including humans - it will try to defend itself from injury or death.
Sharks bites can cause massive tissue loss, with a tooth-to-tooth biting force that has been estimated to approach, in the extreme, 18 tons per square inch. Most bites, however, result in cuts that are not deep, or puncture wounds that do not cause blood vessel or nerve injury.
Do you clobber it in the nose to fight it off? Not if you plan on getting away. Despite the old saying that aiming for the snout is the best strategy, a shark's most sensitive areas are really its eyes and its gills. Aiming for the nose, which is not known to be a weak spot, is generally considered a bad idea.